and bring him quickly into our Ladies bands and make him sinke by beggerie The Apostle Paul useth many reasons against it able to move an heart of flint if there be any droppe of grace in him if he pertaine to Gods election if he be not vas irae a vessell of wrarh a reprobate a firebrand in Hell 1 Cor. 6. 13 14 a member of the Divell His first reasons is that The body was made for the Lord a swell as the soule his second That the body shall 15 16 18 19. be raised up at the last day to an incorruptible estate His third That our bodies are the members of Christ His fourth He that coupleth himselfe with an harlot is one body with an harlot the fifth This is sinne in a speciall sense against our owne bodies the sixth The body is the temple of the holy Ghost finally The body is bought with a price and therfore is not our owne These are the reasons that the Apostle useth against this sinne to make all men to deny it and defye it But to proceede the wrath of God against this sinne of whordome is as the fire of Aetna not only to burne the whrne and the whoremonger but their seed as one said the bastard shall be a faggot a firebrand in Hell to burne the parents For the children of adulterers shall not be partakers of the holy things and the seed of the wicked bed shall be rooted out and though they Wisd 3. 16 17 18 19. live long yet shall they be nothing regarded and their last age shall be without honor if they dye hastily they have no hope neither comfort in the day of triall For horrible is the end of the wicked generation And againe the bastard-plants shall VVisd 4. 3 4. take no deep root nor lay any fast foundation For though they bud forth in the branches for a time yet they shal be shaken with the wind for they stand not fast they shal be rooted out As The divell prevailes most by uncleannesse one said of the theefe on Christs right hand that Luke nameth one theefe to let us see that all theeves are not damned and yet but one theefe to let us see that all theeves are not saved So say Luke 23. I of Iephta that God nameth one bastard to let vs see that all Iudg. 11. 1. are not rejected of God and yet but one to let us see that all are not accepted of God I exclude them not from the Covenant of life I abridge not the mercies of God I clip not the wings of his compassion towards them For it is as great a sinne to abridge the mercies of God to the penitent as to dilate it and prostitute it to the reprobate For the Lord is stronge mercifull Exod. 34. 6 7. and gracious slow to anger and abundant in mercy and truth reserving mercy for thousands forgiving iniquity transgression and sinne And againe Hee is gracious and slow to anger and of great kindnesse Ioel. 2. 13. and repenteth him of the evill But this is it that I insist upon and take in hand to prove that God punisheth the uncleane and incontinent persons even in their seed aswell as in their bodies goods and name and let all men that take pleasure in this sinne assure themselves that the end will be bitter as worme-wood Prov. 5. 4. and sharpe as a two-edged sword For hee that followeth a strange woman is as an Oxe that goeth to the slaughter and as a foole that goeth Prov. 7. 22. to the stockes for correction till a dart strike thorow his liver as a bird hasteth to the snare not knowing that she is in danger For they that goe to a strange woman seldome returne againe neither take they hold of the Prov. 2. 18. way of life If they reply that David did commit adultery and yet did returne I answer it is true of many thousand adulterers one David did returne but thou hast cause rather to feare to perish wirh the multitude than to returne with David But before I prosecute this point further note the mercy and wisdome of God in the decalogue In the first precept he provideth for our callings that no man contemne us but honour us in the sixth for our bodies that no man kill them in the eighth for our goods that no man steale them in the seventh for our wives that no man abuse them that none violate their chastity and therefore severely hath God revenged this sinne he hath punished it in the great ones hee hath set a marke a brand of vengeance upon them as upon Pharoah in Egypt and Abimilech Gen. 12. Psal 160. 30. in Gerar and yet they touched not Sara but onely intended it So Phinees ranne thorow a Lord and Lady Moses Numb 25. hanged the heads and Princes of the people And if God hath not spared the high cedars of lebanon looke not that he will spare the low shrubs Potentes potenter punientur the mighty shall Wisd 6. 6. Acts 10. 34. be mightily punished and meane men shall bee punished also Deus non est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God is no accepter of persons Eusebius Cremonensis reporteth of Ierome that on his death-bed he used these words unto his Disciples Ensis diaboli est luxuria ô quot illa romphaea inter fecit lechery is the sword of the divell ô how many hath this sword slaine Est rete diaboli ô quot illud rete inescavit Many of the Saints have beene overtaken by adultery it is the net of the divell O how many hath it deceived Est esca diaboli it is the bait of the divell O how many hath this baite entrapped There is no sinne in the second table wherein the divell hath more prevailed and gone away a greater conquerer than in this sin of Whoredome and therefore it is noted that in Mary Magdalen there were seven divels For this sinne wee read Luke 7. Gen. 6. that it repented God that ever he made man and indeed the mischiefes that come of this sinne be manifold Nam luxuria corpus debilitat memoriam hebitat cor aufert oculos caecat famam denigrat marsupium evacuat furta homicidia infert iram Dei provocat for lechery weakneth the body infeebleth the minde dulleth the memory taketh away the heart blindeth the eyes hurteth the good name emptieth the purse causeth thefts murders and all other sinnes kndleth Gods wrath For this sinne God brought a floud of water upon the old world and for this sinne the Lord reigned fire and brimstone from the Lord out of heaven and destroyed Gen. 6. Sodome Yea for this sinne God slew foure and twenty thousand Cave vinum cave mulieres take heed of wine take heed of women he that useth wine carryeth fire in his bosome and a woman is sagitta diaboli the arrow of the divell Homo mulier sunt ignis palea
At the first he came as a Lambe now shall he come as a Lion Venit tunc salvare nunc iudicare he came then to save us now he shall come to judge us And yet to speake fully his first comming was not without glory two contraries were conjoyned Summa humilitas summa sublimitas the deepest humility and the highest sublimity Aug. he lay among the beasts yet praised of Angels which sung Gloria in excelsis Glory bee to God on high What is hee Luk 2. that is so base and so glorious so little and so great so poore and so rich poore in the flesh poore in the manger poore in the stable but great and rich and glorious in heaven whom the starres obey great and glorious in the aire Mat. 2. where the Angels sing great and glorious in earth for Herod and all Ierusalem were moved at the tidings of him It is the greatest basenesse Luk 2. for God to bee conceived and the greatest glory to bee conceived by the Holy Ghost the greatest basenesse to be borne Esay 7. of a Woman and the greatest glory to be borne of a Virgin the greatest basenesse to be borne in a stable and the greatest glory to shine in the Heavens the greatest basenesse to deplore among beasts and the greatest glory to be sung of Angels the greatest basenesse to be baptized among sinners and the greatest glory to have the heavens open the spirit to descend and to heare the Father of heaven speaking from heaven This is my beloved Sonne Mat. 3. 16. in whom I am well pleased It is the greatest basenesse to suffer death upon the Crosse and the greatest glory to rise againe from the dead formosus erat in Coelis formosus erat in terra he was faire and beautifull in heaven faire and beautifull in earth faire and beautifull in his throne of glory faire and beautifull in the manger faire and beautifull among the Angels faire and beautifull among the beasts Quid facitis ô Magi puerum ne adoratis What doe yee ô yee Wise-men doe yee worship the child Is he not therefore a King I but where is the Kings Court Where is his Throne Where the continuall resort and haunt of this Court Is not his Court the stable his Throne the Manger They that resort and haunt this Court the Oxe and the Asse Yet vndique formosus est on every side he was faire and glorious The Lords two Courts one of Mercy the other of Iustice For when he spake the sea was calme when he commanded the windes were whist when he called the dead did rise and when he died the Sunne was eclipsed when he rose the earth trembled when he ascended the heavens opened so farre Augustine Thus his first comming was not without glory but his second shall be glorious indeed He shall come in the glory of his Father with Mat. 24. all the holy Angels One speaking of this comming of Christ to iudgement saith Posterior Christi adventus non erit mitis sed terribilis Christs latter comming shall not bee gentle but terrible and fearefull For measure me the greatnesse of one arme by the quantity of another the Iustice of God by the mercy of God If he was so mercifull in his first comming as to take our flesh and to suffer death upon the Crosse for us and how iust how severe will hee bee in his second comming to all those that have either contemned or abused his mercy Quam facilis fuit in primo adventu Looke how facile gentle and propice he was in his first comming tam difficilis erit in secundo adventu so hard so uneasy to bee intreated will he be in his second comming infinit in mercy infinit in Iustice ready to pardon and ready to punish God shall arise and his enemies shall be scattered they also that hate him shall fly before him As Psal 88. 1 2. the smoke vanisheth so shalt thou drive them away and as Wax melteth before the fire so shall the wicked perish at the presence of God And as the Prophet saith God is jealous and the Lord revengeth even the Lord of anger the Lord will take vengeance on his adversaries and he reserveth Nahum 1. 1 2. wrath for his enemies the Lord is slow to anger but great in power and will not surely cleere the wicked As we treasure up our sinnes so hee treasureth up his wrath Indies crescunt peccata indies crescit ira our sinnes increase daily and his wrath daily Bernard saith that the Lord hath two Courts the one of mercy the other of iustice the one in this life the other in the life to come when he shall come with thousands of his Saints to judgement Here is forum miscricordiae the Court of mercy there shall be forum Iustitiae the Court of Iustice for there he will reward every man according to his Works Augustine bringeth in Christ thus Rom. 2. 6. speaking at the last day Ecce fabri Filium quem irrisistis Behold the Carpenters Sonne whom yee have derided Ecce eum in quem non credidistis Behold him in whom yee have not beleeved behold the wounds which yee have made in my hands and feet behold the side which yee have pierced behold the face which you have beraide with your spittle Behold the glory that shall presse and overwhelme you and the Majesty that shall breake and bruise you For our Iudge will iudge righteously and iustly Hee will reward every man according to his worke that is to them which by continuance Rom. 2. 6 7. in well doing seeke glory and honour and immortality eternall life but unto them that are contentious and disobey the truth and obey Wee must meditate as well on the Iustice of God as on his mercy unrighteousnesse shall be indignation and wrath tribulation and anguish shall be upon the soule of every man that doth evill And here note the blindnesse of the World All men prate of mercy but few talke of Iustice like the Benjamites we cast stones with one hand like Iudg. 19. Mat. 26. Polipheme we see but with one eye with Malchus wee heare but with one eare like the Vnicorne we defend our selves with one horne from God like the Amazones many brethren give sucke to the Church with one pap delivering but one doctrine namely that of mercy But let me speake familiarly If a fellon will not trust only on the mercy of the Iudge at the Assise Let us not deceive our selves against that great Assise day Whatsoever Gal. 6 7 8. a man soweth that shall he reape for he that soweth to the flesh shall of the flesh reape corruption but he that soweth to the spirit shall of the spirit reape life everlasting In quo statu novissimus vitae dies relinquet in eo resurrectionis primus dies inveniet qualis in isto die quisque moritur talis in die illo iudicabitur In
staves end of God for wages it is Death not Life Hell not Heaven Paines not joyes For the wages of sinne is death that Rom. 6. 23. which God doth for us is a gift not a stipend It is hee that must give us an inheritance among them that are sanctified So Christ said Act. 20. 32. It is your Fathers pleasure to give you a Kingdome Gift is free gift and Luk. 12. 32. desert they are as opposite as the Tropickes and cannot stand together wee have not chosen Christ but he hath chosen us hee Iohn 15. 18. gave the occasion not we it is mercy not merit grace not nature favour not debt that wee must challenge For by grace are wee saved through faith and that not of our selves it is the gift of Ephes 2. 8 9. God not of Works lest any man should boast himselfe so said Marie His mercy is on them that feare him yet our feare is defective wee can Luk 1. 50. claime nothing but mercy the Canaanite craved but mercy O Lord thou sonne of David have mercy on me Cui daret justus Iudex coronam Mat. 15. 22. Aug. nisi cui dedisset Pater misericors gratiam To whom should the just Iudge give the Crowne but unto whom the mercifull Father hath given grace Gratia non invenit sed fecit nos eligendos Grace hath not found us but hath made us to be chosen Cum Deus coronat merita tua nihil aliud coronat nisi munera sua When God crowneth our merits he crowneth nothing else but his owne gifts Blasphemous therefore is the saying of Dorbel Quòd Deus Coelum carè vendit Three sorts of merits Congrui Digni Condigni amicis quod ipsi carè emunt That God selleth heaven deare to his friends and they buy it deare some travell thither by the foote-path of righteousnesse as the Prophets some by the foote-path of cleannesse as virgins some by the foote-path of repentance as the Confessors some by the foote-path of affliction as the Martyrs some by the foote-path of poverty as the Apostles some by the foote-path of hospitality as the Patriarches But God selleth not heaven he giveth it freely We are Rom. 3. 24. justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Iesus Lex data est ut gratia quaereretur the Law was given that grace should bee sought gratia data est ut lex impleretur and grace is given that the Law might be fulfilled for All is of grace Abraham in his faith David in his godlinesse Iob in his patience Rom. 11. Salomon in his wisdome Elias in his zeale cannot stand before God If thou ô Lord markest iniquity O Lord who shall stand Where Psal 130. 3. the Prophet sheweth that we cannot be just before God by merit but by mercy in the forgivenes of our sinnes therfore saith S. Iude Looke for the mercies of our Lord Iesus Christ unto eternall life But to face out this mercy of God the Papists have found out three sorts of merits Meritum congrui digni condigni Merit of congruity they call those preparations that are before grace and to this end they alledge Cornelius who was a devout man and Act. 10. 2. one that feared God with all his houshold and gave much almes to the people and prayed God continually And yet his prayer and almes did proceed from that sparke of faith that hee had in Christ not from any worke of nature Meritū digni as when a just man prayeth for an unjust as Iob Daniel for the Iewes of whose prayer God saith thus When the land sinneth against me by cōmitting a trespasse then will I stretch out my hand Ezech. 14. 13 14. upon it and will breake the staffe of the bread thereof I will send famine upon it c. And though these three men Noah Daniel Iob were among them they shoul deliver but their owne soules by their righteousnesse saith the Lord God Whereas it is spoken but by way of supposition Meritum condigni be works of supererogation Loud words of Lewd blasphemy too proud words for either men or Angels For no worke of it selfe is pure and can stand before God Quis dabit mundum de immundo Who can bring a cleane thing out of Iob 14. 4. filthinesse The Heavens are not cleane in his sight much lesse men He found folly in his Angels how much more in us that dwell in Iob 15. Iob 4. 18 19. houses of clay This Moses often inculcated to Israel lest they should presume of their righteousnes and thinke themselves exalted by it Speake not thou in thy heart saith Moses For my righteousnesse the Lord hath brought me in to possesse the land for thou entrest not Deut. 9. 4 5. to inherit their land for thy righteousnes or for thy upright heart but for the wickednesse of those nations c. The Lord giueth not thee this good land to possesse for thy righteousnesse for thou art a stiffenecked people And hee maketh a Catalogue of their vices how in the wildernesse in Horeb and in many other places they provoked the No merit of condignity but in Christ Lord to anger you were never good neither egge nor bird quoth Moses Merit of condignity is an action belonging to such a nature as is both God and man not to a bare creature for the Angels themselves cannot merit any thing at Gods hand for they are said to be elected now election is by grace otherwise salvation 1 Tim. 6. Rom. 11. 5. is in the power of the clay not of the potter Yea Adam also if he had stood could have merited nothing of God seeing it is the bounden duty of every creature to obey the Creatour For wee are his workemanship created unto Christ Iesus unto good workes Ephes 2. 10. which God hath ordeyned that wee should walke in them If we do good works yet doe wee but our duety the merit therefore of condignity doth onely agree to Christ God and man whom each nature doth to the effecting of this merit that which belongeth unto it for the humanity doth minister matter to the merit by suffering and performing obedience the Deity of Christ unto which the humanity is hypostatically united doth conferre full and sufficient worthinesse to the worke Hereupon came the voice This is my beloved Sonne in whom I am well pleased For God was never pleased in any but in Christ For wee are all by nature the Mat. 3. 17. Ephes 2. 3 4 5. children of wrath but God which is rich in mercy through the great love wherewith hee loved us even when wee were dead by sinnes hath quickned us together in Christ by whose grace yee are saved Againe that a worke may bee meritorious there must bee a proportion betwixt that and eternall life but eternall life is infinite our merits are finite Now a finite worke
For not everie one that saith Lord Lord shall enter into the kingdome of Heaven but he that doth the will of the Father which is in Heaven 4 The fourth signe is a strife against sin For as the Flesh lusteth against the Spirit so doth the Spirit against the Flesh And they that are Christs Have crucified the Flesh with the affections and lusts Gal. 5. 17. 24. And hee that is elected will cry out with the Apostle O wretched man that I am who shall deliver mee from the body of this death Rom. 7. 24. Meaning the corruption which yet remained The Law in our members which rebelleth they will tame and give no way to the motions of the flesh 5 The fifth and last signe is the reformation of our whole life a generall walking in the paths of righteousnesse holinesse as our election is knowne unto God from all eternity For the foundation of God remaineth sure and hath his seale The Lord knoweth 2 Tim. 2. 19. who are his so is it knowne to us by our workes and therfore wee are willed To give all diligence to make our election and calling sure by good workes if wee can so live that at the last when we 2 Pet. 1. 10. shall leave this World wee can say with Simeon Lord now lettest Luke 2. thou thy servant depart in peace It is an undoubted signe of our election Our election is perfected by many degrees Paul nameth three degrees of it Vocation Iustification and Glorification for so runne his words Those whom hee knew before hee predestinate and whom hee predestinate them also hee called and whom Rom. 8. 29 30. hee called them also hee Iustified and whom hee Iustified them also hee Glorified But others make other degrees The first to be Christs with his gifts 1 Cor. 3. Rom. 8. 2 Tim. 1. 9. Rom. 4. 25. Ephes 2. 10. 2 Tim. 4. 8. The second degree is our Adoption The third is our Vocation by the Gospell The fourth is Iustification The fifth is our Sanctification The sixth is our Glorification These are the signes of our election and this election is every God reprobateth in Iustice as well as elocteth in Mercy way free Never man layd hand on this worke never man brought stone to this building but all is from God and his Mercy Let us therefore throw downe our crownes with the Elders and let us say with David Not unto us Lord not unto us but unto thy name give the praise And if our reason cannot comprehend this our election Psal 115. 1. let our Faith comprehend it Vbi ratio definit sides incipit where Ambr. reason faileth faith beginneth Let our reason bee as Hagar our faith as Sara if reason will presume let Sara let faith take her downe a pegge The other part of Gods decree is Reprobation here named of Iude Of old ordained to condemnation Now whereas many grant election but not Reprobation Reprobation is proved by many places of Scripture Christ saith Every plant which my Heavenly Mat. 15. 13. Father hath not planted shall bee rooted up And Paul speaketh of Vessels of wrath ordained to destruction And Esay telleth us that Rom. 9. 22. Tophet is prepared of old it is prepared even for the King hee hath made Esa 30. 33. it deepe and large c. yet many are squeamish of Reprobation utterly denying it And Ierome was once of the minde hee said that God elected some but reprobated none Now if he deny all reprobation this must bee wrapped up amongst the rest of his errors Haec patrum pudenda tegi patior I love to hide these imperfections 1 Cor. 3. of the Fathers for they did not ever build gold upon the foundation but sometime hay and stubble c. Indeed God reprobates none but for sinne but for sinne he reprobates And thus God is righteous and his judgements just thus Christ divideth the whole world into two parts Corne and Tares Goats and Sheepe the Tares shall bee bound up in bundels and cast into the fire the Goats Mat. 13. 25. shall stand at Christs left hand and shall heare Goe yee cursed into everlasting Hell fire prepared for the Divell and his angels and marke that he saith prepared for the Divell and his angels If of five senses we want foure we cannot deny this Reprobation But what should I light a candle at noone-day or powre water into the Sea or bring the breath of a man to helpe the blast or gale of wind Magna est veritas praevalet great is truth and prevaileth for wee cannot doe any thing against the truth but for the truth 2 Cor. 13. 8. Reprobation standeth with the glory of God for as his Mercy appeareth in Election so his Iustice in Reprobation and his Iustice in punishing sinne is as lawfull as holy as glorious as his Mercy in Christ Iesus For in God they are equall and not qualities but of the essence of God For hee is Iustice and Mercy it selfe God is not made of mercy only as a loafe is of Corne or wood of Trees but of Iustice also And Gods glory shineth as much in his Iustice as in his Mercy God hath made all things for his glory and the wicked for the day of vengeance Shall wee then reason against God and say Why doth he thus Absit God forbid Againe all the works of God have their contraries wherein God not the author of evil but the disposer the infinite Wisedome of God appeareth In Physicke one thing bindeth and another looseth one thing comforteth nature and another thing destroyeth it In the state of the World there is light and darkenesse hony and gall sweet and sowre prickes and roses faire and foule hearbes and weeds In the creation of the creatures every thing hath his contrary the Woolfe to the Sheepe the Weesell to the Cony the Mouse to the Elephant the Dragon to the Vnicorne the Spider to the Flie the Lion to the Beasts the Eagle to the Birds Againe in the Church there are contraries the Elect to the Reject Cain against Abel Ismael against Isaac Hagar against Sara Esau against Iacob Pharaoh against Moses Saul against David the Pharises against Christ the false god against the true God Againe all vertues have their contrary vices Falshood against Truth Hatred against Love Faith against Infidelity Temperancie against Riot Prudence against Folly Liberality against Covetousnesse Chastity against Incontinency Fortitude against Pusillanimity So God hath them that are elected to life and fore-written to judgement for in the whole state of the world God hath shewed himselfe the Authour of Iustice and Mercy If there were no Darkenesse wee should not know the benefit of Light If no sicknesse wee should not know the benefit of health If no death wee should not know the goodnesse of life So Hell makes the blisse of Heaven seeme the greater and this destruction of the wicked the
up thy Dan. 5. 2. 22. selfe against the Lord of heaven c. And so a number that see the judgement of God upon their fathers and friends and yet they come not their owne hearts and say with David It is I that have sinned and my fathers house and what have these sheepe done let thy 2 Sam. 24. 17. hand be upon mee and my fathers house and not upon this people The fall of Adam was the juster in that he tooke no heed by the fall of Angels The sinne of the old world was the greater they saw Gen. 8. and heard both of the fall of Angels and of the fall of Adam and yet these examples could not make them beware Thus Paul reasoned with the Romanes for that they learned not by the example of the Iewes he calleth them to a second view of it Behold saith hee the bountifulnesse and the severity of God towards them which have fallen severity but towards thee bountifulnesse if Rom. 11. 22. thou continue in this bountifulnesse or else thou shalt be cut off This is the end of all Scripture to apply examples and doctrines to us for the increase of knowledge and conscience Thus Absalom is an example to all rebels how they lay their hands on the Lords 2 Sam. 17. 2 Sam. 15 Acts 5. 2 Pet. 2. 2 Reg. 9. annointed Achitophel to all bad counsellors Ananias to all lyers Herod to all persecutors Balaam to all greedy wretches Iezâ—bel to all proud women Therefore Moses upbraideth Israel that they seeing the examples of them that worshipped Baal-peor yet runne into the same sin he maketh them stocks blocks beasts without eyes saying The Lord hath not given you an heart to perceive and eyes to see and eares to heare unto this day Deut. 29. 4. To apply this Hath France been plagued so that their channels have overflowed with blood not with water Hath God plagued Flanders that their children be fatherlesse their wives widdowes their houses turned over unto strangers their lands to aliens hath Germany been grieved Scotland distressed and we regard it not we are blinder than Pharoah and more beasts than Nebuchadnezzar To tame a Lion they use to beat a little dogge before him So to tame us of a Lion-like nature God hathbeaten France Flanders Germany c. Tune tua res agitur paries cum proximus ardet O England looke unto thy selfe end let thy neighbours fire make Examples not regarded aggravate punishment thee take heede of approching flames As God said of Babell Come downe and sit in the dust so virgin daughter Babel c. So say I Come downe and sit in the duste o virgin daughter England There is no throne o daughter of the Chaldeans For thou shalt no more be Esa 47. 1. called tender and delicate Take the milstones and grinde meale lose thy locks make bare thy feete uncover thy legges passe thorow the flouds Thy filthynes is discovered and thy shame shal beseen Thou shalt no more be called the mother of kingdomes Lay thy hand therfore O virgin daughter England upon thy heart repent of thy sinnes and God will repent of his plagues turne away from thy sinnes and God wil turne his face from thy sinnes and blot out all thy misdeeds And thus much being spoken as touching the end of Sodomes punishment I come now unto the punishment it selfe and that is double First fire Secondly Eternall fire But first fire For among the judgements of God fire ever hath beene a principall We use to say that fire and water have no mercy and it is so therefore when God would punish notorious sinnes he plagued them with fire When the uncleane lusts of Sodome cried up to heaven The Lord rained fire and brimstone from Gen. 19. the Lord out of Heaven upon them and destroied them When Israell lusted after flesh God sent fire into the host which burnt amongst Numb 11. 1. them and consumed the utmost part of the Host When the Captaines of Ahaziah came prowdly against Elisha the man of God they 2 Reg. 1. and their Fifties were consumed with fire The two notable whoremongers of Iuda were burnt with fire in so much as it Luk. 9. grew to a proverbe in Iuda The Lord make thee like Zedekiah and Gen. 6. like Abab whom the King of Babell burnt in the fire The Samaritans refusing to lodg the Lord Iesus the Apostles would have prayed 2 Pet. 3. for fire to come from heaven to destroy them When Christ Iesus will come to judgement he will come in fire Once the world was drowned and then it shal be burned For The heavens shall passe in manner of a tempest the Elementes shall melt for servent heat the earth Mat. 25. 41. and all that is therupon shall burne And when he will judge the 2 Thess 1. 8. world to a certaine set punishment it is to fire Goe yee cursed into everlasting fire This is the punishment of the damned For when the Lord shall shew himselfe from heaven with his mighty Angels In flaming fire they shal be throwen into a burning Lake The paines of hell are described many wayes they are called Vermis conscientiae a worme of Conscience Tenebrae exteriores utter Mar. 9. 4. Mat. 22. 13 Apoc. 20. Luk. 6. 25. Mat. 25. 41. 2 Thes 1. 8. Esa 30. Apoc. 19. darkenesse Secunda mors the second death fletus stridor dentium weepings and gnashing of teeth the place of Divels losse of Gods presence want of his countenance Tophet and the vallie of mourning but chiefly fire and the burning lake O what an horror is it ever to feele a gnawing worme ever to lie in darknesse to see death ever to weepe and gnash our teeth to be among Divels to fry in fire But as the Poet unable to se out the sorrowes of Niobe Fire fearefull hell fire more fearefull was driven to wrappe up her heade in a cloud so words fayle me you cannot heare it my tongue cannot expresse it all our hearts cannot comprehend it the paines of hell are unspeakeable as the joyes of heaven are incomprehensible As the one cannot be 1 Cor. 2. 8. perceived by the eye nor received by the eare nor conceived by the heart no more can the other If a man were in the fire an hower He would give a hundred thousand pound to come out of it and yet our fire is no more to hell fire than a painted fire is to our fire Horresco referens I tremble I quake rehearsing it Tremble o tremble yee blaspemers that tosse Gods name like to a tennis balle The flying booke of Gods vengeance which is Zach. 5. 1. 2. 3. twenty cubites long and tenne cubites broad wherein is written Ier. 5. 8. 9. the curse that goeth forth oyer the whole earth will seize upon them and cut them of on this side and on that Tremble yee whoremongers which like stoned
We should prevent iudgement by iudging our selves in so much as God hath appointed a day wherein he will judge the world with righteousnesse by that Man whom he hath appointed Act. 17. 31. Woe will bee unto us if that day come upon us unawares before we have made our peace and humbled our selves before God and by true repentance turne from sinne to sanctity It is an unspeable favour that God shewes us when he offers us this mercy that if we judge our selves we shall not be judged of the Lord in that day 1 Cor. 11. 34. And it will on the other side kindle his wrath extremely when having such grace offered wee neglect it and death and judgement find our sinnes unremitted on Gods part and unrepented of ours 5. Seeing that all these things shall be dissolved it should stirre us up to an holy conversation So reasoneth S. Peter Seeing that all those things must be dissolved what manner persons ought we to be in holy conversation and godlinesse looking for and hasting to the comming of the day of God c 2. Pet. 3. 11 12. We are Gods stewards let us arme our selves as they that must give accounts of their stewardship and let us jmploy such talents as God hath lent us to Gods glory and our neighbours good Lastly since the day of Iudgement is the day of our full and finall Redemption and since hee shall come as a theefe in the night even the houre that we thinke not Let us therefore watch and be ready alwayes carefull and diligent sighing and groning longing and praying hasting to and looking for this glorious comming of our Lord and Saviour Christ to judgement THE SIXE AND TVVENTIETH SERMON VERS XVI These are murmurers complainers walking after their owne lusts c. Many discontented with Gods dealing with them HEE proceedeth to describe the wicked and that foure wayes 1 By their Impatiencie 2 By their Lusts 3 By their Pride 4 By their Flattery For they yeeld many sinnes as Nilus yeeldeth many Crocodiles and the Scorpion many Serpents at one birth This impatiencie is two-fold Against God and against man And first for God many are never content but if they have one thing they would have another like the daughter of Caleb when wee have pasture ground wee must have arable and when wee have that we must have wood ground for fewell and parkes for pleasure like some Clergy men that must have one benefice for corne ground another for glebe land like Aesops Lion they must have the first second and third part and except God give them the fourth part also they will fall out with him they will murmur and as the Prophet speaketh In the evening they will Psal 59. 15. goe to and fro and barke like dogs and grinne if they be not satisfied Paul noteth this sinne in Israel and applieth it to Corinth and in them to all Churches saying Neither murmure ye as some of them murmured and were destroyed of the destroyer but to see it plainly Murmuring the sinne of the Israelites read Exod. 16. and there yee shall finde that the whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron in the wildernesse and said Oh that we had dyed by 1 Cor. 10. 10. Exod. 16. 2 3 4 5. the hand of the Lord in the land of Aegypt when we sate by the flesh-pots when wee ate bread our bellies full But Moses told them That God heard their grudgings against them and further said At even shall the Lord give you flesh to eate and in the morning your fill of bread for the Lord saith hee hath heard the murmurings that yee murmure against him c. and so at even quailes came and covered the ground and in the morning he rained Manna upon them Againe God having given them bread and flesh no sooner wanted they water but they were as vile Wherefore the people contended with Moses and said Give us water that wee may drinke and the people murmured against Moses and said Wherefore hast thou brought us out of Aegypt to kill us and our children and our cattell with thirst Thus like dogges except their mouthes were filled they barked continually like the Gangrene or the disease called the Woolfe which gnaweth ever except it be fed For no sooner had God delivered them out of Aegypt but except he would deliver them from Pharaoh also they would raile Hereupon they said unto Moses Hast thou brought us to dye in the Wildernesse because there were no graves in Aegypt Wherfore hast thou served us thus to carry us out Exod. 14. 11 12. of Aegypt did not we tell thee this thing in Aegypt saying Let us bee at rest that wee may serve the Aegyptians for it had bin better for us to have served the Aegyptians then that wee should dye in the wildernesse Thus they dealt with God for water at another time Why have yee brought the Congregation of the Lord into this Wildernesse Numb 20. 4. 5. that both wee and our cattell should dye there Wherefore now have yee made us to come up from Aegypt to bring us to this miserable place which is no place of seede nor figges nor vines nor pomegranats neither is there any water to drinke Cyrill noteth upon the 6. of Iohn Vers 52. that this sinne of murmuring is hereditary to the Iewes it was morbus haereditarius like the stone the Fathers conveyed it ever to their children and this sinne like the heads of Hydra drew many other sinnes after it as disobedience ingratitude impatience distrust tempting of God blasphemy it was never alone The whole course of the sacred Scriptures crieth out against this sin specially in men professing God Do all things saith the Apostle Phil. 2. 14. without murmuring or reasoning and Saint Peter Be yee harborous one to another without murmuring and Wisedome bids us Beware 1 Pet. 4 9. Sap. 1. 10. Gen. 4. 14. of murmuring Cain murmured and the Scripture noteth it as his sinne The Israelites were grievous murmurers Sometimes for their Labour Sometimes for Drinke Exod. 5. 21. Cap. 16. 25. Cap. 17. 3. Sometimes for Flesh as ye heard before Sometimes in distrust to obtaine the City so strongly The punishment of murmurers walled Sometimes for feare to be killed of their enemies Sometimes for want of dainties as figges pomegranats Num. 13. 3. Num. 14. 2. Cap. 16. 42. Cap. 20. 3. vines c. Sometimes for that they were over-layed with Manna And for other like causes upon which the holy Ghost setteth a brand of dislike and so by their sinnes admonisheth us to beware For this sinne never went unpunished There is murmuring for good done on the Sabbath day For not washing before meate for the oyntment that was powred upon Christ and not rather sold and given unto the poore that widowes were neglected that Mary did not helpe Martha but sate and heard Christs words But still observe that
excellent of all vertues 413 All vertues vaine without love ibid. Many excellent properties of Love 414 Little love in this age ibid. Love makes men of one heart 415 Many men implacable cruell like Wolues or Divels ibid. An exhortation to love 416 Foure properties of love that it be holy just true constant ibid. The love amongst Atheists and impious condemned 417 The excellency of Love ibid. Atheists agree like a kennell of dogs 418 Most love for lucre ibid. Gods love to us infinite 419 Gods love to us diversly distinguished ibid. Gods loue set out by all the dimensions yet transcendent and unmeasurable ibid. No love comparable to Gods Love 420 Gods love to us the cause of our love to him and the godly ibid. Foure reasons or motives to incite us to love God 1. à mandato 2. ab aequo justo 3. à commodo 4. ab officio 421 The manner how God is to bee loved 422 Love a debt that all owe to God and man but few poy it ibid VVe must shew our love to God by keeping his commandements and serving him 423 An honorable and happy thing to love God ibid. Sermon 34. THe hope of eternal life allays the hardnesse of Gods Commandements 425 Hope of reward makes men endure labours and dangers 426 The blessed estate of the Saints in Heaven 427 Christ and the Saints in their sufferings had an eye to the reward ibid. The joyes of Heaven unspeakable incomprehensible 428 The glorified bodyes shall have spirituall and heavenly qualities namely clarity agility subtility unpassibility and immortality 429 The principall points wherein the glory and joy of the glorified soule and whole Saint consist 430 Earthly mindes regard not Heavenly joyes 431 Divers errours concerning eternall life 432 The joyes of Heaven eternall and infinite ibid. Heaven compared with the wombe of the world 433 An exhortation to seeke after eternall joyes ibid. Eternall life onely the free gift of God 434 Merit end mercy gift and desert opposite ibid. Papists works many of them merit death 435 Merit three-fold Congrui Digni Condigni ibid. None can merit ex condigno but Christ 436 Our works cannot merit because finite and unperfect ibid. Christs righteousnes ours 437 Our works merit not jointly with Christs ibid. Grace threefold Praeveniens Subsequens Consummans ibid. Many Papists renounce their merits and fly to Gods mercy 438 Our election vocation justification sanctification all from grace 439 We must not trust in our works but confesse our sinnes ibid. Sermon 35. DIscretion necessary for distinguishing sinnes and sinners 441 Ministers must use discretion not deale alike with all sinnes and sinners ibid. How to restore with mâ—ekenes them that are fallen 442 VVee should pitty and pray for sinners and not despise them ibid. Many men more compassionate toward their beasts nhan brethren 444 Wee must tak away sinnes with mildenesse and mercy if possible ibid. Reproofe though not pleasing yet profitable 446 Compassion must be shewed especially to the soule 447 The Saints bewaile the estate of the wicked ibid. Threats of judgement belong to the wicked 448 The obstinate must be terrified not soothed ibid. Iudgements denounced against soothing false prophets 449 Reproofes more profitable than soothing flattery 450 Excommunication a grievous censure ibid. Excommunication three-fold 451 Two uses of Excommunication ibid. Sermon 36. THe sinner alwayes in danger 452 The fickle estate of the wicked set out by divers resemblances 453 No estate permanent 454 Sudden destruction waite on the wicked ibid. Death comes not sudden to the Godly 455 The Godly prepare by repentance and godly life for death while they have time 456 Repentance must not be deferred ibid. The saving of soules a most blessed worke 457 Though God save yet both Grace and Faith and Ministery concurre 458 Tho Ministrie being Gods ordinance to save soules is not to be slighted though the World despise them ibid. Foure faculties in the soule whereby it converts the food of the Word and Sacraments to nourishment of the spirituall life 459 The necessitie and excellent fruits of the Ministery set out by divers resemblances 460 The happy estate of them that have means of knowledge 461 Salvation and the misery of them that want it ibid. Sermon 37. NOt onely evill but all appearance of evill is to bee avoided 462 Sinne must bee hated not sported at if if wee love our owne soules ibid. No communion to be holden or society with the wicked 463 Wicked men must be avoided in respect of God and ourselves ibid. Sinne as contagious as the plague and more dangerous 464 Wee must hate sinne because the whole Trinity detest it 465 Wee must hate sinne because Satan is the author being enemie to God and our soules ibid. Sinne must bee hated because it dishonours God not our selves 466 Wee may not hold amity with the wicked boing Gods enemies 467 The amity of the wicked treachery ibid. Sinne onely is hated of God and man and not the person except reprobate 468 Two judgments the one of Faith the other of Charity 469 Wee must leave sinne of conscience not for other respects 470 The punishment of sinne ought to deterre from sinne ibid. Earthquakes an evident signe of Gods anger and a forerunner of judgement 471 Many earth-quakes in many places and much hurt 472 Christians not to be prophaned 473 Sermon 38 VVE are not sufficient to doe any good of our selves without grace 476 Exhortations do not shew what we can but what we should doe 477 Grace both preserves from falling and raiseth us being fallen 478 Our enemies many and powerfull 479 Prayer the best meanes to repell Satan and his temptations 480 All sorts of men have fallen even the Saints ibid. All have the Seminarie of all sinnes in them 481 Grace worketh all in all ibid. Wee walke in the middest of snares 482 God suffered Adam and doth still suffer the Saints to fall for divers reasons 483 Difference betweene the sinnes of Saints and Reprobates ibid. Whether and how the Church may erre 484 The best have erred ibid. The Pope may erre and many of them have erred 485 The distinctions about the erring of the Pope nice and frivolous 486 Sermon 39. HOw wee are said to bee blamelesse notwithstanding we are full of sin 487 Two kindes of righteousnesse 488 Our righteousnesse consists rather in the remission of sinne than perfection of vertue ibid. How we are said to be perfect and yet imperfect 489 The Iesuits and latter Popish writers the worst 490 The Church and members of it impure in it selfe but perfect and pure in Christ 491 Our service may be sincere not perfect 492 Iustification by workes confuted how justified by faith explained 493 Papists flye to the mercy of God and merit of Christ 494 No true joyes and pleasures in this world but all in Heaven ibid. The Saints in Heaven shall have fulnesse of joy undique 495 Heaven the land of the living and Earth land of dead men 496 God shall be all in all to the Saints in Heaven ibid. Worldly minded men desire not Heaven 497 Our life nothing to eternall life ibid. All honours and pleasures on earth nothing to them in Heaven 498 The World fraudulent turbulent momentary 499 Christ the onely comfort to the elect both in this life and that to come ibid. Many hindred from Heaven by pleasure Sermon 40. PRayer and praise the two chiefest parts of Gods worship must follow one another 501 The glory of God hath beene celebrated by all Saints 502 Wee slauld not thinke of the mercies of God in Christ without praising him 503 God described by many attributes yet none can sufficiently set him out ibid. God onely wise all men ignorant and foolish 504 Wee have no true wisedome till infused by God ibid. All wisedome and Knowledge hid in Christ 505 Destinction betweene Science and Sapience ibid. Worldly wisedome folly ibid. Gods Wisedome seene in creation and disposing of all creatures and governing the Church 506 Christ a mercifull and powerfull Saviour in life and death ibid. No Saviours comparable to Christ 507 The Papists derogate from the power and merit of Christ ibid. The imputative righteousnes of the Saints more set out Gods glory than the inherent 508 Mans worke cannot merit ibid. What it is to glorifie God 509 Thankefulnesse the onely sacrifice that God requires ibid. We pray in our wants and doe not praise God when we are releeved 510 Thankesgiving and the praise of God the end of our creation ibid. They thrt doe not glorifie God here shall not be glorified of him hereafter ibid. Two theeves that rob God of his glory and justice 511 A powerfull exhortation to praise God and give up our selves in thankefulnesse ibid. If no praise of God in the mouth no thankfulnesse or grace in the heart 512. Sermon 29. VVHat it is to ascribe majestie to God 514 Miracles are admired for the rarenesse 515 All Gods ordinary workes wonderfull 516 Our dulnesse in ascribing to God majestie in regard of his workes ibid. God reâ—eales himselfe sixe wayes ibid. Gods judgement do not worke Repentance ibid. Wherein Gods dominion standeth 517 Gods three-fold kingdome of power grace glorie ibid. Wee ackowledge our selves subjects of Christs kingdome of grace and yet are rebellious 518 Three properties in the Angels Obedience Libentissime Citissime Fidelissime Obediunt 519 Notorious sinners Satans bond-slaves ibid. Wee must be pure in soule and body that Christ may dwell and rule in us 520 Gods power omnipotent ibid. Christ every where present by his power though not corporally ibid. Christs omnipotenty gives comfort to the Christian 521 Gods incomprehensiblenesse set out by comparison ibid. Christ all in all to us 522 God cannot doe those things that imply contradiction or defect ibid. How attributes are ascribed some time to the whole Trinitie sometime to particular persons 523 All Gods attributes are eternall ibid. God must bee praied and praised for all things temporall and eternall 524 Amen the diverse significations thereof and the efficacie thereof in the conclusion of our praiers ibid. Note that the folio's are mistaken at fol. 425. where you shall finde this marke 〈◊〉 FINIS
rara virtus as S. Bernard tearmes it made him thinke neither these nor any of his Sermons or writings worthy of publike view so as though hee were much importuned by offers and earnest entreaties yet would not be drawne to publish any of them But for as much as it is not meete those learned labours should dye with him whereby hee being dead may with Abel yet speake and the living bee furthered in the way of life I resolved to publish these Sermons upon S. Iude Preached in a weekly Lecture to a publike audience on the market day at Northwalsham in Norfolke Intending God assisting if I may understand these to become acceptable profitable to the people of God to publish more In the meane time I shall send these forth with Iacobs blessing and prayer for his Sonnes Gen. 43. 14. God Almighty send thee mercy in the sight of the man c. In the sight of the proud man that he be no more high-minded as Herod In the sight of the poore man that hee may bee content with the things hee hath already as Paul In the sight of the stubborne man that he may yeeld with Saul and say Lord what wilt thou have mee to doe In the sight of the penitent man that his wounds may be bound up and Wine and Oyle powred into them In the sight of the barren man that he may live and bring forth much fruit In the sight of every man that they may draw neere to God with a pure heart in assurance of faith sprinkled in their hearts from an evill conscience and washed in their body with pure water But especially in the sight of our Ioseph our Iesus who blesse thee and these to thee and all other meanes of furthering thy salvation to whose grace I commend thee this tenth of April 1633. Thine in Christ Jesus Samuel Otes THE CONTENTS OF THE FIRST SERMON Vpon Saint IVDE A Briefe description of the Author Penman Argument Occasion of the Epistle The division of it into five parts 1 Superscription 2 Exordium 3 Proposition 4 Exhortations Dehortations 5 Conclusion Superscription in three 1 Person writing 2 Person written to 3 Salutation Person writing by three His Name Office Alliance The Contents of the second Sermon THe persons to whom he writ described by their Vocation and Sanctification In Vocation he describes the fruits kinds and parts necessity diversity in respect of time and place In Sanctification that it followes Vocation and is threefold how distinguished from Iustification what place it hath in salvation The Contents of the third Sermon THat wee may have the benefit of Redemption wee must have both Reconciliation Sanctification and Continuall preservation in the estate of grace In Reconciliation there is necessary Remission of sinnes Imputation of Christs Righteousnesse Sanctification consists in Mortification and Vivification Arguments to vrge Sanctification preservation both of body and soule especially the soule in sanctification till brought to glorification The Contents of the fourth Sermon THe Salutation wherein he wisheth three Mercy Peace and Love Of Mercy and Peace in this Sermon Mercy fourefold That that concernes the soule and salvation thereof is sevenfold Peace three-fold Externall Internall Eternall Outward prosperity and happinesse The Contents of the fifth Sermon HAving spoken afore of Mercy and Peace here he speakes of Love Love is twofold Of God to Man Of Man to Man both set out by their Excellency and their Effects The want of the latter noted the kinds of Love condemned finally not onely Mercy Peace and Love as positive graces are wished but the continnall increase and multiplication of them The Contents of the sixth Sermon THe proposition in the second part of the Epistle vnfolded that faith must be maintained wherein two things 1 They must labour to maintaine faith 2 The reasons and they are three 1 From the person of the Apostle 2 From the person of God 3 From the person of the Adversary In this Sermon of the first viz. that Faith must bee maintained with all earnestnesse and of the first reason drawne from the person of the Apostle namely his love his paines and his mildnesse The Contents of the seventh Sermon THe second reason drawne from the person of God that gives faith wherein three 1 That Faith is a gift 2 That given once 3 That given to the Saints In the first the divers acceptions of faith 1. How the true faith is given In the second that the same Faith is in all ages In the third that only the Saints have this true faith wherein the divers acceptions of faith are set downe and that here is meant the Saints upon earth The Contents of the eighth Sermon THe third reason is drawne from the persons of the Adversaries who are described 1 By their life 2 By their end By their life that they 1 Creepe into the Church 2 Be A 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 men without God 3 Be Libertines 4 Are blasphemers denying God and Christ c. The three first here handled The Contents of the ninth Sermon THe third reason from the persons of the adversaries is further prosecuted in regard of the fourth branch of their impiety in their life 〈…〉 the onely Lord and our Lord Iesus Christ wherein is shewed how many wayes God and Christ are denyed And prooved that God is the only God And that Iesus Christ is our Lord Iure Creationis Iure Redemptionis The Contents of the tenth Sermon THe third reason from the Adversaries is further prosecuted in regard of the end which is by the Apostle here said to bee condemnation and in that they are said to be before ordained to this condemnation as by Gods decree The two parts of Gods decree Election and Reprobation largely handled The Contents of the eleventh Sermon NNotwithstanding they to whom he wrote knew before yet he puts them in remembrance of the mercies of God in delivering the Israelites and his justice in destroying them growing rebellious Wherein note 1 The necessity of inculcating and often reiterating doctrines before knowne 2 Gods mercy to the Israelites especially in their deliverance out of Egypt which is largely described 3 The greater his mercies the more grievous his punishments upon the contemners thereof The Contents of the twelfth Sermon THe Israelites sinne that brought their destruction was infidelity though other sins yet this the root of all as proved in them and all The nature the kinds the necessity excellency and utility of faith is set out Secondly the sinne of the Angels what it was wherein their nature and office their number kinds their sinne being in generall Apostacy the nature of that sinne and wherein it consists and how odious it is is described The Contents the thirteenth Sermon THe punishment of the Angels that fell which is to bee reserved in everlasting chaines hence 1 Comfort to man that though his malice be infinite yet his power is limited 2 Confusion to him that though he be already
but they that have beene mockers of God and Religion most odious most severely punished yet all condemned as being persecutors carnall lose Libertines though they thinke themselves 〈◊〉 yet they 〈◊〉 the bondslaves of sinne and Satan they are onely free that are the servants of God and subdue their lusts and they have thereby assurance of their election and salvation The Contents of the thirtieth Sermon HEre he condemneth Sectaries that make a division in the Church which is one and the true members thereof preserve unity among themselves these Sectaries are dangerous as Idolaters Three sorts of them viz. Heretikes Schismatikes and Apostates who are described and condemned Pride the root of Heresie and Schisme though the Scriptures the meanes to confute them yet they pervert them to maintaine their errors That we may avoid these wee must keepe our hearts from infidelity our minds from false opinions and our conversation from scandall they are the chiefe Engines Satans vse to overthrow the Church making Sects and divisions either for matters Ecclesiasticall or Temporall These Sectaries are by Iude called naturall men that is unregenerate having no more then they drew from Adam without grace and knowledge of heavenly things yet practised many civill vertues invented Arts and in many things exceeded many that beare the names of Christians though they had but naturall illumination not the Spirit of Sanctification and so Saint Iude addeth having not the Spirit that is the Spirit of God and being without it had no spirituall grace but were led by the spirit of pride errour c. The Contents of the one and thirtieth Sermon HAving noted the opposition betweene the wicked and the godly from the conjunction discretive But that though Sectaries pull downe yet the godly must build up themselves in their holy Faith he justifieth first in the metaphor Edifie hee inferres two things first that we must be builders using the Word of God for our rule or square and confute the Papists that tooke it away secondly that we must encrease daily in knowledge grace and goodnesse and reproove our non-proficiency and shew that it is a propertie of the wicked to decrease and taxe both such as thinke they know enough and such as will not indevour to know exhorting all to use all diligence to learne and to build so as when their earthly tabernacle bee dissolved they may have assurance of a house in the Heavens he proceedeth with the Apostle to the thing wherein hee must be built and that is in their Faith and this not barely named but with a note of excellency above all vertues being called Most holy Faith He sets out the necessity of Faith in all our actions that they may bee pleasing to God and having shewed that Faith is the originall of all good workes he sheweth the end and manifold uses of them Finally that Faith is the life of the soule by it God lives in us and wee shall live eternally with him Hee proceeds to the note of excellency that is called most holy and first shewes the excellency of it above all other vertues and that holy first in regard of the subject purifying the heart and making our persons and 〈…〉 Secondly in respect of the object the holy Trinitie Thirdly in respect of the officient cause the holy Ghost and hence concluded that the Papists workes are not holy being not done in Faith and that the wicked have no Faith because no holinesse And lastly he sheweth that this holy Faith must be begotten by hearing the holy Word of God The Contents of the two and thirtieth Sermon HAving set out the relation betweene Faith and Prayer and the manifold and marveilous effects of Prayer and that it is not onely powerfull but pleasant to God and the Saints themselves he descends to divide Prayer into divers kinds in divers respects and sheweth how all must be uttered Hee proceedeth further to set out the excellency of Prayer by many resemblances and manifold effects and uses having spoken of Prayer in generall he comes to shew that it must bee in Spirit and sheweth what it is to pray in the Spirit and that hee deâ—ineth so as either the holy Ghost must be the Author of Prayer being the Author of all Graces yet so as the holy Trinity have a hand in it or secondly that our Prayers must be spirituall and zealous not carnall and with the lips hee reprove the Papists that require but an actuall intent and sheweth it is the manner not matter that God respects That wee must take heed that neither businesse nor multitude of cogitations steale away the times of prayer but that wee pray alwayes with pure zealous and faithfull hearts and then we may relye upon his promises for all good things The Contents of the three and thirtieth Sermon HAving breifly shewed the relation betwixt Faith Prayer and Love he instanceth in Love setteth out the excellency of it above all vertues bewailes the want of it and exhorts unto it yet distinguisheth and sheweth it must be the Love of God which we must keepe our selves in this he describes by foure properties that it must bee 1 Holy 2 Iust 3 True 4 Constant And condemnes the love of Atheists carnall wordly men and Papists distinguisheth the love of God into 1 His love to us 2 Our love to him His love to us though infinite yet described in divers respects 1 By comparison 2 By distinction First into his love 1 Immanent 2 Transient Secondly 1 Generall 2 Speciall Thirdly 1 Temporary 2 Sempiternall Our love to god he sheweth to be an effect of his love to us and uses foure reasons to excite us to the love of God First à mandato from the Commandement of God Secondly 〈…〉 from the Law of equity Thirdly à commodo from the manifold good that redounds to us by it Fourthly 〈…〉 from our duty he being our Father Lastly he sheweth the manner how we should performe it and taxeth our fayling in the manner The Contents of the foure and thirtieth Sermon FIrst observing how Saint Iude having give divers Precepts to the godly commforts them with the hope of eternall life he shewes this to bee the duly meanes to support the soules of the faithfull and entreth into a large learned and elegant discourse concerning eternall life and the joyes of Heaven and sets them out firtst to bee in themselves both unspeakeable and incomprehensible yet that may be guessed at by comparison with the most excellent earthly things and setteth out the glorious estate of the Saints both in body and soule and reprooves such as are so delighted with this life as they thinke not on eternall life and confutes divers erronious conceits concerning this life and againe describes it 1 By the eternity 2 Infinite extent of the place 3 The infinite kindes of pleasures Lastly having set out the glorious estate hee sheweth the meanes how wee should attaine to it and that not by our merits but Gods mercies
he proceeds to the other three Attributes viz. Majesty Dominion and Power and sheweth what it is first to ascribe Majesty to God that it is to acknowledge his Majesty and Greatnesse in all his Workes and reprooves our dulnesse that admire onely his Miracles when all his Workes declare his Majestie Many regard not his Miracles nor signes of his wrath He proceeds to the fifth namely Dominion and sheweth that to consist in that authority whereby he commands in all Kingdomes Places Persons and he distinguisheth these into three kinds viz. his kingdome of 1 Power 2 Grace 3 Glory and describes them But insisteth in his Kingdome of Grace within us and reprooves our rebellions and trecheries that yeeld subjection to sinne and Satan and set up our owne wills and lusts to beare rule in us and so make a mocke of Christs Kingdome and that wee ought to subject as the Angels and doe his will as they most willingly speedily and faithfully And to this end to have our soules and bodies purified that hee may dwell and rule in us He proceeds to the sixth and lost Attribute of Power and sheweth that this consisteth in that he doth whatsoever he pleaseth in all places and persons being present in all places by his power though not in body and that this is an ascribing Power to him to depend upon his Power and to trust to his Strength being all-sufficient after that hee observeth all the sixe Attributes to belong to the whole Trinity and that for ever Lastly hee sheweth the divers significations of Amen and therewith how powerfull a conclusion it is in all prayers implying in it faith and zeale in him that prayeth Laus Deo The Analysis of the Epistle of Saint IVDE The Epistle hath five parts 1 Saluation in it three 1 The person saluting described by three 1 His name IVDE 2 His calling a Servant of Iesus Christ 3 His kindred or alliance the brother of Iames. 2 The persons saluted and they are all that are called and sanctified of God the Father reserved to Iesus Christ Verse 1. 3 The matter of the salutation wherein he wisheth to them three things Verse 2. 1 Mercy 2 Peace 3 Love 2 Exordium or entrance wherein he expresseth his purpose in this Epistle which was to write to them concerning salvation and here he testifies 1 His love to them by his kinde compellation Beloved 2 His desire and earnest endeavour to further them in the way of salvation in that he gave all diligence to write of the common salvation 3 Proposition the maine meanes to further you in the way of salvation Verse 3. The maintenance of the true Faith Not acquired by the power of Nature But given once to the Saints 4 Illustration and enforcement by Exhortation Verse 3. that contend earnestly for the maintenance of faith and use motives 1 In respect of God giving because given to the Saints and to neglect it is to neglect Gods grace giving meanes of salvation 2 In respect of some wicked Apostates whom hee describes 1 Generally by their Verse 4. 1 Subtilty crept in 2 Sinne turne the grace of God into wantonnesse and deny God 3 Iudgement ordained of old to this condemnation Admonishing them to whom hee writ to take heede both of their sinne and iudgement by the examples of the Israelites both their Sinne unbeliefe Iudgement destruction Verse 5. Angels both their Sinne pride Iudgement everlasting chaines c. Vers 6. Sodomites and Gomorrheans both their Sinne uncleannesse Iudgement eternall fire Ver. 7 2 Particularly calling them dreamers and describe 1 Their sinnes ranged into two heads 1 Vncleannesse defile the flesh 2 Rebellion in two things 1 Despising Government Verse 8. 2 Railing on This latter aggravated V. 9 10 He parallels them by their patternes Verse 11. Cain for envy Balaam for counselling to vncleannes Corah for contempt of government Hee sets them out by godly resemblances Verse 12. 1 Spots in regard of their defiling staining 2 Dry Clouds Barren Trees in respect of hypocrisie Verse 13. 3 Raging foming waves in respect of their pride and vaine glory 4 Wandring Starres in respect of their errour and ignorance 2 Iudgement the blacknesse of darknesse for ever this hee confirmes out of the prophesie of Enoch wherein two things 1 Prophet by two 1 His name Enoch 2 Order of descent from Adam the seventh from Adam Verse 14. 2 Prophesie the matter of it Verse 14 15. 3 Their properties Verse 16. 1 Murmuring 2 Repining 3 Licenciousnesse 4 Boasting 5 Flattery Direction for maintenance of true faith in three things 1 How to avoid these impious Apostates which draw from the faith which is 1 By remembring the predictions of the Apostles that forewarned of such Mockers and lustfull livers Verse 17 18. 2 Observing their practice answerable to the Apostles prediction making sects being not spirituall but carnall Verse 19. 2 How to preserve themselves in the faith and this by foure meanes Verse 20 21. 1 Mutuall edification 2 Zealous and spirituall invocation 3 Keeping themselves in the love of God 4 Constant expectation of eternall life by the mercy and meanes of our Lord Iesus Christ 3 How to preserve others in the faith 1 The weake by compassion Verse 22. 2 The obstinate by feare Verse 23. 5 Conclusion with prayer and praise to God wherein hee insinuates 1 What they are to expect and desire at Gods hand and their ground because he is able being Verse 24 25. 1 To keepe 2 To present blamelesse c. 1 Onely wise 2 And Sauiour 2 What is to be ascribed to him 1. Glory 2 Maiesty 3 Dominion AN EXPOSITION VPON THE whole Epistle of Saint Iude. VERSE 1. The Author and Pen-man of this Epistle Iude the servant of Iesus Christ c. BEfore I enter upon the handling of this Epistle I will speake briefly first of the Author 2. of the Penman 3. of the Argument 4. of the Occasion of this Epistle For I cannot dilate at large as Salomon did of trees from the Cedar to the Isop nor as Pliny did of beasts frō the Elephant to the Pismeire nor as Lactantius did of Fishes from the Whale to the Lamprey And first for the Author of this booke it is the holy Ghost For all Scripture is given by inspiration from God and Prophecie came 1 Tim. 3 16. 2. Pet. 1. 20. Luke 1. not in old time by the Will of man but holy men spake as they were moved by the spirit of God and it was God that spake by the mouth of all his Prophets which have been since the World began And as he directed the tongues of Holy men to speake and therfore saith our Saviour It is not yee that speake but the spirit of my father in you so he directed Mat. 10. 20. their pens to write so that it was not they that wrote but the holy Ghost by them By this therefore it evidently appeareth of what reverent account this Epistle ought for
and righteousnesse all the dayes of our life Nay the service of God is the end of our glorification Therefore the Apostle would have us to walke worthy our God who hath 1 Thess 2. 12. called us unto his Kingdome of glory And therefore unlesse wee esteeme vilely of our Creation Redemption and Glorification wee must become Gods servants and serve him in feare and rejoyce Psal 2. 11. before him with trembling Austine Observeth God was never called Lord until he had placed Adam in Paradise before he was called God simply but now the Lord God because hee was not so much a Lord to Angels and other creatures as unto man to teach him that hee must live under Gods lordship and serve him For though Adam was lord of the creatures and the creatures must serve him yet Adam had a Lord whom he must serve And yet God needeth not our service and therefore saith David O my soule thou hast said unto Psal 16. 2. Psal 50. 10 11. the Lord my well doing extendeth not to thee all the beasts of the Forrests are his and the beasts on a thousand Mountaines hee knowes all the fowles on the Mountaines and wilde beasts of the Fields are his Who saith the Apostle hath knowne the minde of the Lord or Who was his Counsellor or Who hath given unto him first and hee shall bee recompenced Rom. 11. 35 36. But howsoever hee standeth not in need of our service wee stand in need of his Lordship and protection that wee may bee safe under his Wings that wee feare not the feare of the Psal 91. night nor the arrow that flyeth by day nor the pestilence that walketh in the darke nor the plague that destroyeth at noone-day And doe wee stand in need of his Lordship Let us understand our wants and performe our service and duty to the Lord For thus hee reasoneth by the Prophet The Sonne honoureth his Father the Servant Mal. 1. 5. his Master If I bee your Father where is my honour If your Master where is my feare Let not God say of us as of the Israelites I have nourished and brought up children but they have rebelled against mee Ravenna saith thus A move radium a Sole non lucet rivulum Esa 1. 2 3. a fonte arescit a radice ramum exiccatur a corpore membrum putrescit obedientiam a Christiano perit Take away the beame from the Sunne and it shineth not the river from the Fountaine and it dryeth up the bough from the Roote and it withereth the member from the Body and it rotteth and obedience from a Christian and hee perisheth Consider what Adam lost by his evill service he fell from purity Adams losse for his evill service If we wil serve God the creatures shall serve us to corruption from eternitie to mortalitie from Angels to men from heaven to hell had not the promised seed come in Hee was expelled out of Paradise as a Rebell an Outlaw and a shaking Sword hanging to keepe him out Hee came out of Eden a pleasant garden to toyle among Nettles Bryers brambles like the men of Penuel Hee became a slave to the creatures Gen. 3. 15. Iudg. 9. the creatures rebels against him to this day Homo nascitur cum dolore man is borne with griefe Vivit cum labore he lives by labour Moritur cum moerore hee dyes with sorrow Quis mihi dabit fontem lachrymarum ut defleam hominis miserabilem ingressum culpabilem Innocentius progressum desolatum egressum Who shall give mee a fountaine of teares that I may bewaile mans miserable ingresse his culpable progresse and desolate egresse I know that God hath turned this curse into a blessing for Plus in Christo lacrati sumus quam perdidimus in Adamo wee have gained more in Christ than ever wee lost in Adam For if by the offence of one saith Saint Paul Death raigned through one much more shall they which Rom. 5. 17. 18. receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousnesse reigne in life through one that is Iesus Christ Likewise then as by the offence of one the fault came on all men to condemnation So by the justifying of one the benefit abounded toward all men to the justification of life Thus wee have gained more in Christ than wee lost by Adam Yet this is of mercy not of merit of favour not of duty Witnesse the Apostle saying But when the bountifulnesse and love of God our Saviour towards man appeared not by the workes of Tit. 3. 4 5. righteousnesse which wee had done but according to his mercie hee saved us by the washing of the new birth and the renewing of the holy Ghost Which he shined on us abundantly through Iesus Christ our Saviour But Augustine answereth this more fully and saith That Adams disobeying God lost his honour hee serving God all creatures served him hee disobeying God all disobeyed him The earth bringeth forth Weedes Thornes Venimous things The sea swallowes us up with flowes and stormes the ayre fighteth against us with Thunders Lightenings Tempests the heavens conspire against us with mortality of Pestilence the wilde beasts devoure us But to them that serve God God maketh his creatures serve them the earth to bring forth corne grasse fruits the ayre to be sweet the sea to bee calme the beasts to be helpefull Even so the Lions hurted not Daniel the Viper stung not Paul the Whale crushed not Ionas the Crowes Dan. 6. Act. 28. Iob. 2. 1. Reg. 19. Luke 16. Num. 21. fedde Elias the dogges licked Lazarus the Serpents of Sinai poisoned not Israel The Ecclesiasticall and tripartite historie tels us how the Crowes nourished Anthony an Hermit and Paulus Thaebeus how a Lionesse fedde Marcarius how an Hart brought Egidius meat into the Wildernesse how Helenus commanded a wilde Asse to carry his burthen I passe over that of Linus Romulus and Rhemus nourished of a shee-Woolfe and God must bee served sinne brought in the first service that of Plutarch of the Elephant that loved a Maid of Etholia and that of Plinie of a Panther that ledde a man out of the desart into a plaine way and that of Lucian of a Dolphin that carried Arion If wee serve God The stones in the streete shall bee in league with us and the beasts of the field shall bee at peace with us Ieb 5. 23. that is all creatures shall serve us Let us then addict our selves wholy unto his service not serving any other Master but him not the World not the Flesh not the Divell not Antichrist Not the World Ne illecti lest wee are allured with vaine pleasures and the lying vanities thereof not of the Flesh Ne infecti lest stayned polluted defiled therewith not the Divell Ne interfecti lest devoured and destroyed by him not Antichrist Ne decepti lest seduced and misled by him It is a base service to serve the
of the World to them all Venite benedicti come yee blessed of my Father inherit the kingdome Mat. 25. 34. prepared for you and therefore as the Hart desireth the water-brookes so long their Soules after God their Soules after God yea after the living God and they cry day and night Come Lord Jesus come quickely Thou which art our Lord by right of creation by right of redemption by right of gubernation Apoc. 22. by right of preservation Come come away quickely and crown us with glory receive us into thy kingdome where is Gaudium sine fine sine metu finis Ioy without end without feare of end Thus much of the Persons saluted their vocation sanctification and reservation to Iesus Christ THE FOVRTH SERMON VERS II. Mercie unto you and Peace and Love c. Mercy Peace and Love from Father Sonne holy Ghost I Am now come to the Salutation wherein the Apostle wisheth and prayeth for three things 1 Mercy 2 Peace 3 Love Three things more excellent than Mat. 2. the three gifts which the Wisemen bestowed on Christ Gold Frankincense 2 Sam. 23. and Myrrh three things more puissant to overthrow the Divell than the three mighty men that were in the hoast of Israel to overthrow the Philistines and to fetch water out of the well of Bethelem that David longed for three things more comely than the three things that Salomon commended that is a Lion Prov. 30. among beasts a Gray-hound and a Goat Mercy which is the first thing here wished for is ascribed to God the Creator Peace which is the second to Christ the 2 Cor. 1. 3. Ephes 2. 14. Rom. 5. 5. Reconciler Love which is the third to the holy Ghost the Comforter For God hee is called The Father of Mercies Christ is called Our Peace and the holy Ghost Love The Apostle therefore in saying Mercy Peace and Love be multiplied is as if he should have said The God of Mercy forgive you your sinnes the God of Peace give you Peace that passeth all understanding and the God of Love grant that your Love may abound more and more that yee may bee rooted and grounded in Love And yet all this proceedeth from one and the same person Generall and speciall Mercies of God for albeit Mercy be ascribed to the Father Peace to the Sonne and Love to the holy Ghost Creation to the Father Redemption to the Sonne and Sanctification to the holy Ghost yet all these create redeeme and sanctifie For wee worship one God in Trinity and Trinity in Vnity wee confound neither the persons nor yet their worke Mercie be unto you Mercy in God is not passive but active Non quoad affectum sed quoad effectum No suffering with us in our wants but succouring us in them Mercy is here taken for grace and the meere favour of God The Apostle therefore in wishing Mercy Peace and Love to the Saints teacheth us Quales esse debent Christianorum salutationes nos literis nostris epistolis honorem opulentiam salutem longam vitam amicis optamus Iudas verò misericordiam pacem charitatem dona coelestia his tribus Ecclesia opus est aliter actum esset And first hee beginneth with Mercie For instead of Grace used by the Apostle Paul in sundry of his Epistles Iude heere nameth Mercy which is all one Mercy and Grace is that whereby all good is conveyed to us therefore an excellent blessing to bee prayed for and this Grace and Mercy of God is fourefold 1 Generall 2 Speciall 3 Temporall 4 Eternall The generall Grace and Mercy of God are those graces and mercies that hee bestoweth upon all men Hence is it that hee causeth the Sun to shine upon good and bad and his Raine to fall upon the just and unjust For there bee some good things which God giveth indifferently both to the good bad as Riches Honour Strength Beautie Health c. And there be some good things which God giveth onely to the good and not to the wicked as saving Faith saving Grace a new Heart a right Spirit peace of Conscience joy in the holy Ghost eternall Life And there are some evill things whereof the good taste as well as the bad as Sickenesse Sorrow Weakenesse of body Imprisonment Famine Sword losse of Friends c. And there are some evill things which God layeth upon the wicked and not upon the good as intolerable horror of conscience desperation Psal 104. 17 18. damnation c. This generall Grace and Mercy of God is over all his cratures the Fowles of the Aire the Fishes in the Psal 145. 9. Sea the beasts of the Fields His Mercie is over all his Workes His speciall Mercy is that whereby hee succoureth his elect This was the Mercy of God that preserved Lot from the burning of Sodome Daniel from the devouring jawes of the hungrie Gen. 19. Lions David from the cruelty of Saul and the Israelites Dan. 6. from the firy Furnace This is that Grace and Mercy which the child of God above all things desireth Lord lift thou up Psal 4. the light of thy countenance upon us His temporall Mercie is that whereby hee spareth sinners and standeth at their doores expecting and waiting their conversion Temporall and eternall Mercies Hereupon one descanteth very finely saying When vaine pleasure biddeth us to sell God and be gone his Mercy and Grace will not so part with us when we are lost in our selves his Mercy and Grace findeth us out when wee lye long in our sinnes his Mercy and Grace raiseth us up when wee come unto him his Mercy and Grace receiveth us when wee come not his Mercy and Grace draweth us when we repent his Mercy and Grace pardoneth us when wee repent not his Mercy and Grace waiteth our repentance The eternall Mercy and Grace of God is that which concerneth our everlasting Salvation this is that Mercy and Grace principally wished for By Grace wee are saved through Faith not of Ephes 2. our selves for it is the gift of God This word Mercy or Grace teacheth us to looke up unto God not unto our selves if wee looke to bee saved wee choose not the Lord but he us Vt salus esset penes figulum non penes lutum Aug. Paul ascriberh all to Grace and Mercy By the Grace of God saith hee I am that I am and his Grace which is in me was not in vaine and thus he taught the Romanes At this present there is a remnant through the election of Grace and if it bee of Grace it is no more of Workes or Rom. 11. 5 6. else Grace were no more Grace but if it bee of Workes it is no more Grace or else were worke no more worke an invincible Argument Peter letteth the Iewes see Terminum a quo terminum ad quem pervenerunt their state under the Law and under Grace Hee hath called you saith
Saint Peter out of darkenesse into his marvellous 1 Pet. 2. 9 10. light which in times past were not a people but now the people of God which in times past were not under Mercy but now have obtained Mercy We have not loved God but hee us Venit medicus ad aegrotos via ad errantes lux ad tenebras vita ad mortuos redemptor ad Bern. captivos The Physitian came unto the sicke the way to wanderers light to darkenesse life to the dead a redeemer to the captives Wee were sicke hee healed us wee wandered hee reduced us wee were blind hee lightend us wee were slaves hee redeemed us No man commeth to the Father but by him Iohn 14. 6. This is not onely that generall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mercy and Grace of God which pertaineth to all creatures Beasts Fowle Fishes whereof I spake before but this is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 peculiar to man only the Scripture calleth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the riches of his bountifulnesse c. For The Lord is rich in Mercy rich in mercy because Ephes 2. 4. the treasury of his Mercy and Grace is never exhausted the fountaine never dryed up rich in Mercy because he never ceaseth to communicate the riches of his Mercy and Grace to us rich in Mercy because hee pardoneth all our sinnes upon our true repentance rich in Mercy because he not only pardoneth al our sins upon our true repentance but giveth us repentance and The abundant riches of Gods mercies faith to beleeve the remission of our sinnes rich in mercy because he giveth us privative grace to escape evils and positive enabling us to doe good finally rich in mercy because he preventeth us with mercy and grace before we seeke him and followeth us with mercy and grace when we have found him Bernard in a certaine Sermon makes mention of a seven-fold De Evang. septem panum mercy or grace which hee saith each child of God may finde in himselfe The first is a preventing mercy or grace by which the Lord preserves his Elect from falling into grosse evils Fateor fatebor saith he nisi quia Deus adiuvit me paulo minus cecidisset in omne peccatum anima mea I doe and will ingeniously confesse that unlesse the Lord had preserved mee by grace my soule had gone neere to have fallen into all sinne The second is his forbearing mercy or grace whereby the Lord waiteth for the conversion of a sinner in regard whereof the same Author writeth thus Ego peccabam tu dissimulas non continebam a sceleribus tu à verberibus abstinebas I sinned O Lord and thou seemest not to regard it I contained not my selfe from wickednesse and thou abstainest from scourging me for the same The third is an altering and changing mercy or grace which makes a man setled in the resolution of holinesse whereas before he was prophane and loose in behaviour The fourth is an imbracing mercy or grace whereby God assureth the Convert of his favour The fifth is a confirming mercy or grace which strengthneth and upholdeth the righteous in his goodnesse The sixth is a mercy or grace that sets him in hope and expectation of glory The seventh is a crowning mercy or grace which is the Livery and seisin and full possession of the Kingdome of heaven Thus the LORD hath seven mercies or graces nay seventy times seven mercies even an innumerable multitude of compassions all which Saint Iude here wisheth unto the Saints by which it appeareth how great a blessing the Apostle wisheth in wishing mercy Mercy be unto you For indeed all that wee have is of mercy not of merit of favour not of debt of grace not of nature It is his mercy that wee Lament 3. 2. be not consumed therefore when we pray let this be our petition O God be mercifull unto me a sinner and when we give thankes let Luke 18. 13. Psal 36. this be the foot of our Song For his mercy indureth for ever For his mercy indureth for ever His mercy is Communis peccantium portus the common harbor of all penitent sinners For it is not the wisdome God nor his power noriustice that preserves us from destruction but his mercy So many idle words uttered in a day so many vaine Mercy that we are not consumed thoughts conceived so many evill workes committed I speake positively and now privatively so few prayers in us so few thankesgiving so few almes so weake faith so little knowledge so cold zeale so small love It is not a mercy but a miracle that we are not all consumed that the ayre infecteth us not as it did Iuda that the heavens raine not downe fire and brimstone 2 Sam. 24. as they did upon Sodome that the clouds open not and drowne us all as they did the old world that the earth doth not open Gen. 19. and swallow us all as it did Dathan such pride in the rich such envie in the poore such peevishnesse in age such riot in youth Gen. 6. Numb 16. such robbery on the land such piracy on the Sea such impiety in the Church such iniury in the Common-wealth such wickednesse and Atheisme in all it is a rare mercy that wee be not all consumed The Angels desire an end of this evill world the Saints departed wish the accomplishment of the Elect the number full the body of Christ made perfect The Saints in earth cry Veni Esa 6. Apoc. 6. Apoc. 22. Domine Iesu veni citò Come Lord Iesu come quickly Why doe wee not desire to be loosed that as wee are partakers of his generall speciall and temporall mercies and graces here so we may be partakers of his eternall mercies in heaven The second blessing which the Apostle prayeth for is peace which is taken three waies First for externall peace between man and man Secondly for internall peace betwixt God and man peace of conscience Thirdly for prosperity and the happy event of all things And in all these significations it may be taken in this place in a godly sense if wee take it in the first sense it is a notable blessing and to be prayed for of all men as Iude doth here for peace is the ornament of all places as a Crowne of gold upon their head the Kingdome of Christ is adorned by it The Wolfe shall dwell with the Lambe and the Leopard shall lye with Esa 11. 6. 7. 9. the Kid and the Calfe and the Lion and the fat beast together and a little Child shall lead them and the Cow and the Beare shall feed together their yong ones shall lye together and the Lion shall eat straw like the Bullocke and the sucking child shall play upon the hole of the Aspe and the weaned child shall put his hand upon the Cockatrice hole then shall none hurt nor destroy in all the Mountaine of my holinesse Here men by reason
quenched once angry never pleased The Heathens We must love as God doth without desert were wont to say of themen of the primitive Church Ecce ut invicem se diligunt behold how they love one another they knew Christians by that badge but we may say quoth one Ecce Zaneh ut invicem se oderunt behold how they hate one another oppresse one another not Christians but Wolves Lions Leopards Divels nay worse for one Lion eateth not another and the Divels strive not amongst themselves but maintaine their kingdome Let Tygers and Beares and Leopards teare one another Let Scythians and Cannibals eat one another who Mat. 12. know not God nor good humanitie Let them bee without naturall affections but let us love one another and let the Apostle his precept be our practise Be of one minde one suffer with another 2 Tim. 3. 3. love as brethren bee pittifull bee courteous not rendring evill for evill nor rebuke for rebuke but contrariwise blesse knowing that yee are thereunto 1 Pet. 3. 8 9. called that yee should bee heires of blessing But yee will say such and such men deserve no kindnesse nor love at our hands I but see what Christ deserveth his eyes blinded his face smitten his hands nailed his feete pierced his heart thrust through with a speare how ought wee then to love one another Beloved saith the Apostle if God so loved us wee ought to love one another In no quality doe wee resemble God 1 Iohn 4. 11. more than in this Love God the Father is Love God the Son is Love God the holy Ghost is Love God the Father in Love gave his Sonne God the Sonne in Love gave himselfe God the Iohn 3. 16. cap. 10. 16. holy Ghost in Love applyeth all this unto us Charitas Dei diffusa in corda nostra per spiritum But note here what love Iude praying for a true Christian love framed by knowledge for among theeves murderers Drunkards ther is a kind of Love First therefore the love of Atheists is condemned which come from profit or from pleasure which love men as the dog doth the bone but this love proceedeth not Excorde puro from a pure heart therefore to be condemned Secondly the love of Gamesters Drunkards and Pot-companions is here condemned For to glosse play eate drinke game bee no good workes therefore this is not to love wee call it good fellowship but such good fellowes will go to the good fellow the Divell if they repent not Thirdly all carnall love is here condemned For love in man may bee a vice aswell as a grace it is a vice when it is set upon a wrong object or is disordered and that three wayes First when wee love things unlawfull as sinne Secondly when wee love things lawfull but too much as the world Thirdly when love is turned into lust and so it is the mother of fornication adultery incest and such like But if wee will have our love a grace it must be a Christian Our love must be truly Christian Graces must be dayly increased love we must love one another in the Lord for the Lord this love is the badge of Christs disciples By this shall all men know that you are my disciples indeed if yee love one another as I have loved you To this S. Peter exhorteth Above all things have fervent love among your selves for love shall cover a multitude of sinnes Non expiando non veniam Iohn 13. 1 Pet. 4. promerendo sed fraternè condonando non vindicando non diffamando not by purging or satisfying for sinnes not by deserving pardon and binding God to forgive sinnes but by brotherly forgiving trespasses not revenging our selves not defaming others Here also is condemned the love of Papists In cathedra unitatis Deus posuit doctrinam veritatis In the chaire of unity God hath put the doctrine of verity they agree as the false Prophets did not in the Lord but against the Lord they make adoe of their councell of Trident and how they agree in all meetings Alas a few buckrome Bishops of Italy conspired together but thirtie eight Bishops in all not like the councell of Nice where were three hundred and eighteene or of Arimine where were sixe hundred Bishops Nor like the Councell of Constance where were foure Patriarks twenty nine Cardinals two hundred threescore and ten Bishops forty seven Archbishops five hundred threescore and foure Abbots and Doctors at the deposing of Benedict the third But let our love bee as it should bee Christian love Let us love as brethren and then the God of Love and Peace shall bee with us and so much for this love that Saint Iude prayeth for But before I shut up this heavenly doctrine note that the Apostle wisheth an increase of Mercy Peace and Love he would have these things to be multiplyed Mercy Peace and Love be multiplied unto you in that he wisheth a multiplication of these Graces he sheweth that there is no perfection of vertues in this life for there is a double grace of God A Restraining and A Receiving Grace The one to keepe us from sinne the other to increase all vertues in us for in all vertues wee creepe like Snayles wee glide like Wormes wee goe like the Messenger of evill newes but in all vices wee runne like Hazael or the Roe of the field we flie like Doves wee grow like the Lily in a night Paul therefore exclaimed The Law is Spiritual but I Carnall sold under sinne for Rom. 7. 14 15. I allow not that which I doe for what I would that doe I not but what I hate that doe I. Whereupon Saint Augustine saith Impii volunt valent peccare pii volunt sed non valent benè agere quia nequiunt quod desiderant the wicked are willing and able to sinne the August godly are willing but not able to doe well because they cannot doe that which they desire to doe This made this holy Father Never perfect till wee come to Glory to pray Domine dominetur carni anima animae ratio rationi gratia c. Lord let the Soule rule the Flesh Reason the Soule Grace Reason subdue me to thy will inwardly outwardly sharpen my tongue more and more to sound forth thy praises illuminate my mind more and more to see thee inlarge my heart more and more to beleeve in thee c. For we comprehend not the Mercy Peace and Love of God in any measure Beatitude nostra tribus gradibus perficitur in hac vita per spem fidem quotidie crescentem post hanc vitam cum anima Dei praesentia fruetur post extremum judicium cum anima corpore glorificabimur Our happinesse is perfected in three degrees in this life by Faith and Hope increasing and growing daily after this life when the Soule shall enjoy the presence of God after the last Iudgement when as in Body and
Soule wee shall be glorified and when as wee shall sing the songs of triumph such as none can understand save the hundred and forty foure thousand which are Apoc. 14. 3. brought from the Earth Let us therefore pray for grace to increase in us and say with Augustine Si quando steti per Dominum steti si quando cecidi per me cecidi c. If at any time I stood I stood by the Lord if at any time I fell I fell of my selfe his Grace did prevent me saving me from evils past preserving me from evils present and defending me from evils to come But I will follow this point no further but as Iude prayed that Mercy Grace and Love might be multiplied So shall I pray Mercy Peace and Love bee unto you Mercie from God the Father the Father of Mercies Peace from God the Sonne the Prince of Peace Love from God the holy Ghost the Love of the Father and the Sonne Mercy unto you releasing your sinnes Peace unto you quieting your consciences Love unto you joyning you to God and one unto another Now the very God of Mercy Peace and Love give you Mercy Peace and Love Amen THE SIXTH SERMON VERS III. Beloved when I gave c. Faith and Gods worship must be maintained HAving spoken of the Title or Inscription of this Epistle I am now come unto the second part thereof namely the Proposition which is a stirring of them up to maintaine the Faith worship and religion of God which was now at an ebbe like the Sea and eclipsed like the Sunne with false Apostles had shaken her leaves like a tree in winter Where note two things 1 That they must labour for Faith 2 The reasons why they must so labour The Reasons be three The first taken from the person of the Apostle The second from the person of God The third from the person of the Adversaries From the person of the Apostle three wayes From 1 His love 2 His paines 3 His mildnesse The second reason is taken from the person of God in that he gave this Faith where note three things The necessitie and excellencie of Faith That it is 1 His gift 2 Once given 3 Given to the Saints The last reason is taken from the Adversarie where note two things 1 The qualities 2 The end of the Adversarie But first for Faith all men must labour for it that they may say on their death-beds with Paul I have fought a good fight I 2 Tim. 7 8. have finished my course I have kept the faith from hence-forth there is laid up for me a Crowne of righteousnesse which the Lord the righteous Iudge will give me at that day and not to me onely but unto them also that love his appearing None can speake of a Crowne of glorie but he that can say that he hath kept the Faith For without Faith it is impossible to please God Wilt thou please God as Enoch did and Hebr. 11. 6. not grieve God like Israel then get faith Quod enim non est a fide peccatum est whatsoever is not of faith is sinne Paul describing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Christiani the armour of a Christian compareth faith unto a shield all armour is necessarie but specially a shield Therefore saith the Apostle Above all things take the shield of faith Ephes 6. 17. wherewith we shall bee able to 〈◊〉 all â—he 〈…〉 of the wicked Where note that the Apostle contenteth not himselfe with a bare exhortation to stirre us up to labour for faith but with weighty reasons presseth his exhortation before and behind before comparatively preferring it before all other graces Above all behind simply declaring the vertue and efficacie of it Wherby yee shall bee able to quench c. By the first hee maketh way to his exhortation by the last he knocketh it downe fast even to the head as wee use for to say And the Apostle writing to Timothie willeth him to get faith 1 Tim. 1. 19. and a good conscience naming two fearefull examples One of Hymenaeus another of Alexander who had made shipwracke of faith and a good conscience And therefore Paul delivereth them up to Satan That they might learne not to blaspheme that is he did excommunicate them Faith is the vertue of all vertues As all rivers runne into the Sea so all vertues come of faith It giveth light to all vertues as the Sunne doth to all planets therefore the Apostle is so prolix in it Faith maketh us the sonnes of God else are we bastards illegitimate So many as received him to them gave he power to be the Hebr. 11. 4 5. Iohn 1. 12. Epist ad Adimanth Gen. 26. 2 Tim. 1 Cor. 4. 15. Gal. 4. Sonnes of God even to them that beleeve in his name Augustine distinguisheth of Sonnes that they are threefold sonnes by Nature so Esau was the sonne of Isaak sonnes by doctrine or imitation so Timothie was Pauls sonne so he begat the Corinths so hee travelled of Galatia Lastly sonnes by inspiration or faith so are we the sonnes of God Christ is the naturall wee the adopted sonnes of the Almightie The third is best for well is hee that hath God to his Father for the Sonne abideth in the house for Faith must be striven and laboured for ever Faith is the life of the soule as the soule is the life of the body Quod carni esca hoc animae fides what food is to the flesh the same is Faith to the soule quod cibus corpori hoc verbum spiritui what meat is to the body the same is the word to the Spirit Iohn 8. 35. To stirre us up to strive for this Faith the Holy Ghost adorneth it with many Epithetes he calleth it Rich faith 1 Pet. 1. Holy faith Iude vers 20. strong faith 1 pet 5. 8. a saving faith Ephes 2. 8. a pure faith Act. 15. 9. a precious faith 1 Pet. 1. 7. If their we regard riches strength holinesse salvation puritie let us maintaine Faith which hath all graces in it as Paradise had all fruites in it as Lapis Indicus hath all cures in it And note that they must contend strive for faith for all they are accursed that doe the worke of the Lord negligently and all Ier. 48. they shall be spued out of Gods mouth who are key-cold luke-warme and not fervent in the faith Most men therefore shall Apoc. 3. 15. goe unto the Divell and be vomited out of Gods mouth for they are Tepidi in Fide they care not what become of faith and religion so they may prosper in the world they say unto God Ioh 21. 14 15. Depart from us for we desire not the knowledge of thy wayes Who is the Almightie that we should serve him and what profit shall we have if we should pray unto him they say with Alexander Borgia Da mihi divitias caetera tolle tibi fidem spem charitatem
Et ecce mactant boves oves They fall to killing of sheepe and Esa 22. 12 13. slaying of oxen eating flesh and drinking wine eating and drinking for to morrow we shall dye They turne praying into playing fasting into feasting mourning into mumming almesdeeds into misdeeds As Xerxes being weary of all pleasures promised rewards to the inventers of new pleasures which being invented Ipse tamen non fuit contentus he himselfe was not satisfied was not content The word here is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is derived from a towne in Pisidia called Selge built by the Lacedaemonians where all were temperate and not one drunkard the contrary whereof is named 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lasciousnesse such men sinne with an high hand All sin but these men sinne presumptuously they never pray with David Keepe thy servant from presumptuous sinnes Sinne in them raigneth Psal 19. not dwelleth contrary to the rule of the Apostle Let not sinne Rom. 6. 12. 2 Cor. 10. Ephes 4. 19. Esa 5. raigne in your mortall bodie that yee should obey it in the lusts thereof they walke not after the spirit but after the flesh they commit sinne with greedinesse they draw iniquity with cords of vanity and sinne as it were with cartropes But man with man will not reason so the sonne with his Fathers the servant with his master the subject with his Prince will the servant be vile and unfaithfull because his master is courteous unto him Absit God forbid Here I must answer one slander or challenge of the Papists they call us Libertines as Howlet and others but they take upon them to iudge betwixt us and the Libertines as the Asse tooke upon him to judge between the Cuckow the Nightingale of all others the Asse might worst doe it and of all others they may worst do it seeing most of their doctrines tend to libertie proving all men to sinne by their pardons and indulgences saying that holy water doth take away sinne that the signe of the Crosse driveth away the Divell calling with Alexander whordome adulterie incest Peccadilla little sinnes excusing the Popes theft as the theft of Israel his drunkennesse as that of Exod. 11. Gen. 9. Iudg. 15. Noah his murders as those of Samsons All their doctrines tend to libertie as their doctrine of ignorance to be the mother of devotion the doctrine of auricular confession which some learned call the Popes fishing net the doctrine of Purgatorie which Popish Doctrine tend to liberty others call the Popes milch Cow or the soule or panche of the Masse their doctrine of satisfactions that a man may be delivered out of hell by the satisfaction of others as was Traian the Pagane Emperor by the prayer and almes of Gregory What naturall man under heaven would not sinne if hee knew that the Pope could give him pardon that hee could free him from hell and purgatory So that truly if I were not a Protestant I would be a Papist if I respected the pleasure of the flesh THE NINTH SERMON VERS IV. And deny God the onely Lord and our Lord Iesus God is denyed many wayes SAint Iude having described the wicked by their hypocrisie that They creepe into the Church and by their Atheisme For hee saith they were Vngodly men and by their Licenciousnesse saying They turne the grace of God into wantonnesse hee commeth now fourthly to describe them by their Blasphemy That they deny God the onely Lord and our Lord Iesus Christ Now there bee many wayes to deny God as to deny his Attributes his Power Providence Iustice Mercy Truth Strength Eternity for these be the names of God and of the essence of God and these are denyed in the lives of most men Some deny his Power as the Proud do some his Providence as the Infidels some his Iustice as the Impenitent some his Mercy as the Desperate some his Truth as Lyars and perjured men some his Strength as the Fearefull doe Of the first sort was Pharaoh of the second sort were the Israelites of the third sort were the Libertines of the fourth was Caine the fifth were Zedeohia and the house of Saul of the last were the Iewes Pharaoh asked Who is God that Exod. 5. 2. Psal 78. 19 20 21. I should let Israel goe The Israelites distrusted God for bread Can God quoth they prepare a Table in the Wildernesse behold hee smote the Rock that the water gushed out the streames overflowed Can hee give bread also and prepare flesh for his people Of the third sort Outward professiō nothing without inward integritie were the Libertines Which turne the grace of God into wantonnesse Of the fourth sort was Cain my sin is greater than can bee forgiven Vpon whom Augustine replyeth finely Mentiris Cain mentiris in gutture major est Dei misericordia Cain thou lyest thou lyest in thy Iude 4. Gen. 4. Aug. throat greater is Gods Mercy than any mans Iniquity of the fifth was Zedechias who forswore himselfe and had therfore first his children slaine before his Face then his own eyes put out and lastly he was carryed away prisoner into Babylon of the last sort were the Iews who relyed upon the Egyptians Now who offendeth 2 Reg. 25. Esa 31. not in one of these or most of these But especially wee deny God in our lives in our deeds thus the Cretians deny him They professed they knew God but by workes they did deny him and were abominable disobedient and unto every Tit. 1. 16. Tit. 2. 3. 5. good worke reprobate and so are we wee have a shew of Godlinesse but wee have denyed the Power thereof I say of Professors as Paul said of the Iewes He is not a Iew that is one outward neither is that Circumcision which is outward in the Flesh but hee is a Iew that is Rom. 2. 28. 29. one within and the Circumcision of the heart is the true Circumcision So hee is not a Christian that is one outward but hee is a Christian that is one within that serveth God in Spirit and in Truth And if wee will serve God truly these Divels must be cast out of us that are in us and wee must say unto them as Christ said to Peter Come behinde me Sathan videl the Divels of Avarice Pride Envie Malice c. Which have filled our hearts Mat. 16. 23 as they filled the heart of Andnias The profession of God is knowne by the fruits of it as fire is discerned by the smoke that commeth out of the Chimney as life is discerned by the motion of Man On the contrary if a man would perswade us Act. 5. 3. that there is fire where as there is no heat or that there were life in a carcasse that never moved wee would not beleeve him so beleeve not him that speaketh of God and liveth not in God This is an Axiom in Divinitie that all Adulterers Swearers Theeves Vsurers deny God
like a roaring Lion seeking whom to devoure 1 Pet. 5. 8. The dragon with his tayle drew the third part of the starres out of heaven and cast them to the ground and the dragon is ready to devoure us as soone as wee bee brought forth but wee must resist him Resist the Divell and he will flie from you So long as Ioas 1 Pet. 4. had Iehojada at his elbow he did well he walked uprightly in the sight of the Lord. So long as Vzziah had Zechariah to teach him he sought God and he understood the visions of God and God 2 Chron. 24. 2. 2 Chron. 26. 5. made him prosper but they being taken away Satan prevailed both with the one and with the other Therefore the Word is compared to showres so saith Moses My doctrine shall drop as the raine and my speech shall still as doth the dew as the showre upon the hearbs and as the great raine upon the grasse Deut. 32. 2. The Word is compared to an hammer Is not my Word like a fire saith the Lord and like an hammer that breaketh a stone And it is compared to Wind I saw saith S. Iohn an Angell standing on the Ier. 23. 29. Apoc. 7. 1. Iohn 6. 27. foure corners of the earth holding the foure windes of the earth that the windes should not blow on the earth And the word is compared to Food hereupon saith our Saviour Labour not for the meate that perisheth but for that which will indure to eternall life Grasse groweth not greene with one showre of raigne knottie wood is not riven with one stroke a ship saileth not with one blast a Child groweth not to a man with one meale and wee goe not to heaven with one sermon but with precept upon precept precept upon precept Esa 28. 10. line unto line line unto line that is with doctrine upon doctrine and wee must have one thing oft told This meeteth with those preachers and auditors that make strawberries of the Word to have it once in a yeare or once in a quarter but it is Food and every one must have his portion of meate in due season it is not strawberries It is also food for that we must heare it often it must be familiar unto us There is a waste in the body by reason of the heate in the stomacke and the liver and therefore must be repaired with a fresh supply of meate So there is a waste in the soule which must bee repaired with a supply of intellectuall meate that is the word Sometime there is a waste in the understanding which is darkened sometime in the will and affections ' Meditation recordation meanes to enrich the soule which are unruly sometime in the memory which is brittle sometime in our faith which is weake or in our love which is small or in our zeale which may be cold or in the minde which is earthly or in the whole man which is lumpish heavy unfit for Coll. 1. Coll. 3. Hebr. 12. Luk. 17. Phil. 3. 19. any good thing Come therefore still unto the Word heare it still heare it to learne and learne to remember it and remember to follow it and follow to continue it that I may say to this towne of Wallsham as Christ said to Zacheus house This day is salvation come unto your towne But as Lords and Barons never put on their Luk. 19. 9. Parliament robes till they goe to the Parliament house So wee put not on Religion till we goe to the Church and there wee leave it till the next Sunday We remember little and practise lesse like Cambridge Schollers that leave their Logicke in Sophisters hills till they returne againe But wee must heare to bee put in remembrance and though many bee soone wearie yet must not wee Be not weary of well doing saith the Apostle be not Gal. 6. wearie of hearing I see many that if they have a preacher in their towne on the Sunday refuse to heare any other on the weeke day as though they could heare too much Let the Word of God dwell in you plenteously not as a guest for an houre but as Col. 3. 16. an owner continually which cannot be except we be put oft in remembrance and heare often But in saying I will put you in remembrance he insinuateth that they had forgotten these following examples for wee are like the Ostrich that forgetteth her eggs in the dust like Partriches Iob 29. Jer. 17. which gather the yong that be not theirs like the bird Fulica that forgetteth her nest and hatcheth strange birds like the Philosopher that forgat his owne name we had need therefore be put in remembrance and often thinke and meditate of the doctrines we have heard Christians must be like the cleane-beasts that parted the hoofe and chewed the cud so we must ruminate and chaw that at home and concoct that which we have heard in the Church Marie laid up the words of the Shepheard In her heart we must learne of her For the heart is Thesaurus the Luk. 2. 17. treasure-house to store up all doctrines of life and of salvation the memorie is as a chest or coffer if wee had never so great Iewells yet if they be not safely kept as well as truely gotten all is lost not they that eate but they that digest most are the most healthfull not they that get most but they that keep most are richest So not they that heare most but they that remember most are most edified Our memories are like Bankrouts purses and like Danaides tunne the one can hold no money the other no liquor and our memories can hold no doctrine But let us strive to remember and as the Apostle speaketh Whatsoever things are Phil. 4. 8. true whatsoever things are honest whatsoever things are iust whatsoever things are pure whatsoever things pertaine to love whatsoever things God offereth mercy before hee inflicts iudgement are of good report if there be any vertue if there be any praise thinke on these things which yee have both received and heard c. But what are the things that Iude would remember them of Three notable examples of Gods wrath he calleth to their remembrance The first of the Israelites and therein observe with me three things Gods mercy in delivering them the first His iustice in destroying them the second Their sinne the Cause of Gods iustice the whetstone unto it the third and last But first let us looke upon Gods mercy in their deliverance for God beginneth with mercy that is the first act mercy is Alpha Iustice is Omega so David placeth it For speaking of Gods attribute he placeth mercy in the foreward Iustice in the rereward saying My song shall be of mercy and judgement God is patient and Psal 110. 1. Rom. 2. 4. full of mercy Paul calleth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the riches of Gods mercy God never useth Iustice but when
triumphing in fifty two set battells looke againe and thou shalt see him to receive fifty two wounds in the Senate and every one of them mortall Thou seest Sennacherib glorying at the gates of Ierusalem that hee would dry up the rivers with his horses feet that men should eate their ordure and 2 Reg. 19. drinke their owne pisse but looke againe and thou shalt see him slaine in the temple by his owne Sonnes Adramelech and Sharezar Looke on Manasses and thou shalt see him triumphing in 2 Chro. 33. 11. blood looke againe and thou shalt see him a poore distressed prisoner Looke on Herod and thou shalt see him in his royall Act. 12. apparell assuming to himselfe the title of a God looke againe and thou shalt see him stroken of Gods Angell and eaten up of wormes Thou seest Cardinall Woolsie with his silver pillars and pollaxes writing Ego Rex meus I and my King but looke againe and thou shalt see him dead at Leicester with stench and infamie The wicked are like the coggs of a wheele now up now downe like a Player that now playeth the King and when the play is ended he is but a begger like a counter now a pound now a penny now nothing Deus ut apis habet mel aculeum God as a Bee hath hony and a sting As he is unmeasurable in mercy so is he exceeding great in justice very ready in pardoning and very ready in punishing vengeance is his and he will reward Rom. 12. THE TWELFTH SERMON VERS V. Which beleeved not Infidelity the root of all other sinnes BVT to come unto the sinne it selfe that was their destruction that was their infidelity They beleeved not Of this the Prophet spake saying They spake against God saying Can God prepare a table in the Psal 78. 19 20 21 22. Wildernesse behold he smote the rocke that the water gushed out and the streames overflowed Can hee give bread also or prepare flesh for the people Therefore the Lord heard and was angry and the fire was kindled in Iacob and also wrath came upon Israel because they beleeved not in God nor trusted in his helpe Moses reckoneth up their infidelity in order and he saith Remember Deut. 9. 7 8. 22 23 24. and forget not how thou provokedst the Lord to anger in the Wildernesse since the day that thou diddest depart out of the land of Aegypt untill yee came to this place yee have rebelled against the Lord. Also in Horeb yee provoked the Lord to anger so that the Lord was wroth with you to destroy you Also in Taberah and in Massah and in Kibroth-hattaavah yee provoked the Lord to anger likewise when the Lord sent you from Kadeshbarnea saying Goe up and possesse the Land that I have given you then yee rebelled against the Commandement of the Lord your God and beleeved him not nor harkened to his voyce yee have beene rebellious ever since I knew you you were never good egge nor bird first nor last The Apostle urgeth this sinne in Israel and insisteth in it above Hebr. 3 19. Cap. 4. 2. all others saying They could not enter in because of unbeleefe And againe The word that they heard did not profit them because it was not mixed with faith in those that heard it For hee that will heare and Infidelity reprooved as the roote of all other sinnes understand with profit must temper and mixe the word with faith that is he must beleeve it No doubt this people had many sinnes For they were a rebellious people but the capitall arch-sinne was unbeleefe the roote and well-spring of all other their sinnes Paul nameth five sinnes to have beene in Israel 1. Lusting 2. Idolatry 3. Fornication 4. Tempting of God 5. murmuring 1 Cor. 10. 6. but yet the originall of them all was unbeleefe and all these were the fruits of this corrupt tree unbeleefe So Paul ascribed all his evills to this sinne of unbeleefe I was saith he a blasphemer and 1 Tim. 1. 13. a persecutour and an oppressour but I was received into mercy for I did it ignorantly through unbeleefe Christ reproved his disciples bitterly for this sinne his words were as thunderbolts Be not saith he carefull for your lives what yee shall eate or drinke or for your bodies Mat. 6. 25. 30. what rayment yee shall put on Is not the life more worth than meate and the body more of value than rayment If God cloath the grasse of the field which is to day and to morrow is cast into the fornace shall hee not doe much more to you ô yee of little faith and againe ô fooles and slow of heart to beleeve all that the Prophets have spoken And after his resurrection appearing unto the eleven he reproved them of their Luk. 24. 25. unbeleefe and hardnesse of heart and for this sinne he did chide Peter Wherefore doest thou doubt ô thou of little faith And for this sinne hee made Thomas ashamed saying thus unto him Put thy Mar. 16. 14. Mat. 14. 31. Iohn 20. 27. finger here and see my hands and put forth thy hand and put it into my side and be not faithlesse but faithfull And here by the way let me answer a slaunder of the Papists who raile of the Gospell and aske where bee the fruits of it as Osorius Allen Bristow As Christ said shew me the tribute mony Mat. 22. 19. Mar. 11. 1. Reg. 3. so say they shew us the fruits of their profession they call us the cursed figge-tree that had leaves but no fruit and barren Rachel which had no child and Salomons harlot with the dead child But wee answere that if there be any fault it is in our lives not in the Gospell For it worketh in them that beleeve but all beleeve 1 Thes 2. 13. not therefore all worke not whom doth the Gospell save only them that beleeve For seeing the world by wisdome knew not Ged 1 Cor. 1. 20. it pleased God by the foolishnesse of preaching to save them that beleeve To whom is it the power of God surely to them that beleeve The Gospell is the power of God to salvation to every one that beleeveth Rom. 1. 16. Now this faith is Gods gift and cannot be commanded For though Christ had done many miracles and preached many heavenly Sermons unto the Iewes yet they beleeved not That the saying of Esayas the Prophet might be fulfilled that hee said Lord Iohn 12. 37 38 39 40. who beleeved our report and to whom is the arme of the Lord revealed Therefore could they not beleeve because Esayas saith againe He hath blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts that they should not see with their eyes nor understand with their hearts and should bee converted and I should heale them Therefore is it said that so many received the word As beleeved Faith is an anchor but God must Faith the gift of God fasten
and Sacraments was not utterly rejected Paul acknowledgeth them a glorious Church Certainely tares and uncleane vessels are in the Church yet let us endeavour our selves to be good corne and not goe out of the Churh but follow the counsell of Augustine Corripiat homo quod potest quod non potest patienter ferat let a man reprove what he can without danger of Schisme and what he cannot let him patiently suffer but let him never make separation For first in the Church there be many more that feare God and worke righteousnesse than the outward eye can discerne this deceived Elias but the foundation of God standeth firme God knoweth who are his Secondly 2 Tim. 2. 19. even of them that are vile and naught some of them are touched with griefe of conscience for their sinnes and hunger and thrist after righteousnesse Thirdly a man is not to be condemned for some particular fact for the brightest fire hath some smoke the clearest water some mud the face of Venus a Molle and the most heavenly affection some infection of earth In multis peccavimus Iam. 3. 2. omnes In many things we offend all But I may fitly apply that to our Brownists and Separatists which the religious Emperour said to one of that humour Si tam sanctus sis c. If you bee so holy that you will not communicate in the Word and Sacraments with us your even fellow Christians set a ladder to the clouds and clime up to heaven alone In this point the Donatists were ridiculous who meeting in an assembly with the Catholikes for the allaying of some controversies and being intreated by the Tribune to sit downe with the rest answered they stood of purpose because it is written Cum sceleratis non sedebo I will not sit downe with the wicked To whom Saint Augustine wittily and effectually replyed Cur ergo ad nos intrare vobis non fuit religio c. why then make you no conscience to enter the same place with us seeing it is written also in the precedent words Ad mulignos non ingrediar I will not goe unto the wicked and with the ungodly I will not sit downe But let the Brownists and all of the Separation leave their evill speaking let them returne home to their mother the Church of England for doubtlesse The eye that mocketh his father and despiseth the governement Prov. 13. 17. of his Mother the Ravens of the Vallies shall picke it out and the young Eagles eate it and so to leave our evill-speaking Separists An evill speaker is a murtherer with his tongue By the way observe that if men will doe evill they must heare evill it is no rayling to rebuke him sharpely that doth wickedly Some finding fault with Saint Augustine for his tartnesse and sharpenesse in reproving answered wittily Emendate vitam ego emendabo verba mend you your wayes and I shall mend my words Cessate perversè agere cease you from doing evill and I shall cease to reprove and rebuke For where sinne is ranke and red Boanarges the sonne of thunder is more necessary than Barnabas the sonne of consolation They speake evill An evill speaker is a murtherer Et gladium portat in lingua non in vagina and the sword that murthereth with all he carryeth in his tongue not in his scabbard A man may say to these evill speakers as Christ said to Peter Pone gladium in vagina put up thy sword into thy sheath These are like Cockes fed with garlicke that overcome others with ranknesse of breath not with strength of body Vincunt clamore non veritate they overcome with clamours and out-cryes not with verity and truth But if at the day of Iudgement they must give an account for every idle word Mat. 12. 36. what for their evill words And if the wrath of God is wont to fall on the children of unbeleefe it must needs fall upon these evill speakers for they are altogether wrapped in unbeleefe If Sodome and Gomorah were destroyed from heaven for sinning against nature what vengeance remaines for these evill speakers that offend the God of nature If then Thou longest after life and wouldest see good dayes refraine thy tongue from evill and thy Psal 34. 12 13. lips that they speake no guile Pambo a man utterly unlearned in the Scriptures on a time came to Saint Hierome to be taught some Scripture without booke he turned him to the first verse of the 39. Psalme I said I will take heed unto my wayes that I offend not in my tongue A lesson that our evill speakers will not learne for they offend more in the tongue than in hand foot eare eye or any member besides their tongues are like unto the sting of Adders to a sword yea a sharpe sword to a razor and to arrowes their tongues are fire yea a world of wickednesse being set on fire of Hell They speake evill of those things which they know not c. They rayle in their ignorance on things which they know not Scientia non habet inimicum praeter ignorantem the birds have no such enemy as the Owle nor the Passenger no such enemy as the blind worme nor the Mariner no such enemy as the Mermaid so the learned no such enemy as the ignorant Saint Peter speaking of the Epicures and Atheists of the world saith They knew not and that willingly And Paul said of the Gentiles that they walked In mentis vanitate in the vanity of their mind having 2 Pet. 3. 5. their cogitation darkned and being strangers from the life of God thorow Divers kindes of ignorance the ignorance that is in them The like he said of the Idolaters That they were vaine in their imaginations and their foolish heart was full of darknesse and when they professed themselves to be wise they became Ephes 4. 17. Rom. 1. 21 22. Esa 40. 21. fooles c. So Esay said of the Iewes Know ye nothing have ye not heard it hath it not beene told you from the beginning have yee not understood it by the foundation of the earth Thus Christ said of the Pharisees for denying the resurrection Yee erre not knowing the Scriptures neither the power of God Paul imputed all his malice Mat. 22. 29. and his blasphemy to his ignorance I was saith he a blasphemer a persecutour an oppressor but I was received into mercy for that I did it ignorantly through unbeleefe As there be degrees in sinne so is 1 Tim. 1. 13. there a gradation in ignorance It is a sinne to be ignorant in that we should know but a greater to be ignorant in that wee are bound to know There is Ignorantia Simplex and Affectata Simple and affected Ignorance Or there is Ignorantia Ideotarum of Idols Sophistarum of crafty men Or as some Invincibilis inconquerable Vincibilis conquerable Or as others Voluntaria willing Involuntaria unwilling Or as others Negativa negative
exhausted and so died most miserably I will not ransacke our owne Chronicles nor report of the judgements that haue lighted vpon divers of our owne nation for this sinne only this I say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the sufferings of others are instructions to vs to take heede how we meddle with holy and sacred things and that we give to the Church whatsoever appertaineth unto her for certainly if we possesse that which is Gods we shal be dispossessed of God himselfe Another sinne in Caine was hypocrisy he spake Abel faire till he got him in the field So many of us can flatter to serve one owne turne Mel in ore verba lactis Fel in corde fraus in factis Honey in the mouth faire words Gall in the heart deceitfull Esd 4. deeds The adversaries of Iuda and Benjamin would build the Temple with the Iewes Herod desired the Wise men that when Mat. 2. they had found Christ to certify him of it that he might come and worship him Ismael did weepe to Godoliah but the adversaries Ier. 42. of Iuda would haue pulled downe the Temple Herod would have killed Christ as he did the children of Bethlem Ismael slew Godoliah So trust not an Hypocrite whatsoever he saith he meaneth it not his heart is not with thee though he speake thee faire he is a Christian only in name a brother only in shew Of these Hypocrites S. Bernard speakes thus Multi suut oves habitu vulpes actu crudelitate lupi many are sheepe in shew foxes in deed and woolves in cruelty For an Hypocrite hath vulpem in cerebro milvum in manu lupum in corde a Fox in his braine Desperation limits the mercy of God and destroyes the soule and sometime the body a Kyte in his hand and a Woolfe in his heart And therefore our Saviour Christ saith Beware of false prophets which come to you in Sheepes cloathing but inwardly are ravening Woolves which in painted boxes hide deadly poyson in beautifull Sepulchres rotten bones and under Iezabels painted Mat. 7. 16 17. face a whores behaviour And therefore our Saviour calleth them Serpents and Viperous Serpents O yee viperous Serpents yee generation of Vipers how shall yee escape the damnation to come And to shew the certaintie of their damnation Mat. 23. 33. besides the manifold woes which Christ denounceth against them it is said that The wicked shall have their portion Mat. 24. 51. with hypocrites to shew that the condemnation of hypocrites is most certainely sealed Let me therefore use the counsell of Gregory Hypocrita aut esto quod appares aut appare quod es Either bee as thou seemest or appeare as thou art For Simulata sanctitas est duplex iniquitas counterfeit piety is double impiety first because it is impiety and then because it is counterfeit making truth falshood and God a Lier Thirdly there was in Cain Desperation Maius est peccatum quà m remitti potest quoth he my sinne is greater than it can bee Gen. 4. forgiven To whom Augustine answereth Mentiris Caine mentiris in gutture misericordia Dei major peccato tuo major orbe thou liest Cain thou liest in thy throat Gods mercy is greater than thy Psal 103. 11 12 13. sinne greater than the World yea as great as himselfe For as high as the Heaven is above the earth so great is his mercy toward them that feare him and as farre as the East is from the West so farre hath hee removed our sinnes from us and as a Father hath compassion on his Children so hath the LORD compassion on them that feare him Desperation it is Insanabilis plaga a wound that cannot bee cured and healed It is like the beast mentioned in Daniel that had no name There bee foure beasts mentioned there the first is said to bee a Lion the second a Beare the third a Leopard the fourth is not distinguished by any name at all but it was a fierce and a cruell beast having teeth of Iron and Clawes of Brasse other sinnes they are as Lions Beares and Leopards to spoile and to undoe the soule of Man but the finall destruction of the soule indeede so long as there doeth remaine a seate of Iustice in Heaven is Desperation Yet Desperation is now common and men kill themselves but never did any Patriarke Prophet or Apostle lay bloudy hands on himselfe None have done it but Reprobates 1 Sam. 31. 4. Act. 1. 2 Sam. 17. 23. such as Saul and Iudas who burst asunder in the middest and Achitophel who ended his life in an halter Nero provided swords of Silver to sticke himselfe ropes of Silke to hang himselfe ponds of Rosewater to drowne himselfe in Desperation a great sinne but if it bee damnable to murther another what is it to murther thy selfe as the Gaoler in the Acts would have done had not Paul and Sylas stayed him in that fury Augustine maketh desperation Deut. 5. the greatest sinne next to the sinne against the holy Act. 16. 30. Ghost For hee that despaireth of mercy saith he maketh God a Lier THE ONE AND TVVENTIETH SERMON VERS XI And are cast away by the deceit of Balaams wages Covetousnes the roote of evill the ruine of good THe next sinne is the Covetousnesse of Balaam whose story is Numb 23. This sinne is the roote of all evill the spawne of all sinnes a common factour for most villanies of the World the East-wind that blasteth all the trees of vertue it hindreth all goodnesse when thou shouldest give covetousnesse saith it is too much when thou shouldest receive covetousnesse saith it is too little when thou shouldest remit covetousnesse saith it is too great when thou shouldest heare covetousnesse saith it is too farre when thou shouldest repent covetousnes saith it is too soone Thus as Alecto Cui nomina mille mille nocendi artes it hurteth every way They that will be rich fall into 1 Tim. 6. 9 10. divers temptations and snares of the Divel into noysome lusts which drowne men in perdition and destruction For the desire of money is the roote of all evill which while some lusted after they erred from the faith and pierced themselves thorow with many sorrowes A covetous man is like a dog in the shambles which will neither gnaw the bone himselfe nor suffer any other curre to gnaw it He is worse than Many woes denounced against covetousnesse Iudas he sold his Master for thirty pence but the covetous carle will sell him for an halfepenny Iudas but once the never contented covetous man continually and every day He eateth the flesh and drinketh the blood of his brother for hee that hindreth a poore mans living hindreth his life therefore these men are said To have their handsfull of blood There is not a sinne Esa 1. 15. in the second Table against which so many woes are denounced as against covetousnesse as Esay 5. 8.
danger except he take great heed But wherein is wealth so dangerous I answer that it is very troublesome to the outward man the rich mans plenty will not suffer him to sleepe his wealth is like a long garment too side that a man treads upon it often and catcheth a fall So wealth maketh him many times to fall into many maladies and makes him obnoxious to envy and so subject to malice that none are more But to the soule the desire of wealth is most pernicious For first it makes the soule vainely confident The rich mans riches is a strong tower in his imagination Hee thinkes himselfe by them walled Prov. 10. 5. and moated about though indeed hee is as open to danger as other men Hee thinkes himselfe safe if he have Balaams wages wealth and puts his trust in his uncertaine riches The Prophet sayes they Sacrifice to their Nets and burne Incense to their Yarne the meaning is that the same 1 Tim. 6. Abac. 1. 16. confidence which by Sacrifice and incense wee protest to God they put in their wealth And it is noted to bee a passion of the covetous to delight in wealth to flatter themselves in their abundance as if gold were their Sun by day and silver their Moone by night The wise man saith Gold and silver fasten the feet that is the covetous man Eccles 40. 25. he thinkes he stands firme on no ground but on that which is paved with gold But there is yet more evill in wealth it maketh men proud Charge rich men saith the Apostle that they bee 1 Tim. 6. 17. not high-minded and Bernard saith that pride is the rich mans Cousin It is the nature of wealth when it falleth into vile mens hands to blow up the heart as a bladder Pride blowes up the heart is blowne with a quill And therefore Paul saith The rich fall into lusts and temptations To conclude from wealth growes security as a dead sleepe from drunkennesse Let us then beware of this sinne that wee never bee carryed away with the deceit of Balaams wages that wee be not covetous as hee was THE TWO AND TVVENTIETH SERMON VERS XI And perish in the gaine-saying of Core After Mercy followes Iudgement I Am come to the third sin which is the Rebellion of Core whose story is recited by Moses in the Booke of Numbers where is registred and set downe unto us how they rebelled Numb 16. against Moses in the Common-wealth and Aaron in the Church and how the earth opened and swallowed them up for as it can hardly beare any sinnes so most hardly a Rebell the Sunne would give him no light the Ayre would give him no breath the fire no heat the water no cleansing the earth no place but that God for a time disposeth of these creatures to draw men to repentance So saith the Apostle The Lord is not slacke but is patient towards us and would have no man to perish but 2 Pet. 3. 9. would all men come to repentance The Idolaters were slaine with Exod. 32. the sword but the Rebels were swallowed up of the earth as was Iericho and Hierapolis in the primitive Church and twelve Numb 16. Cities of Campania in the dayes of Constantine and many Cities Ios 7. in Greece in the raigne of Tiberius The Minister in the 2 Thes 2. 8. Church is Gods mouth and the Magistrate in the Common-wealth is Gods hand If Aarons Vrim and Thummim would have served Moses Rod and his staffe should not have needed but when the tongue could not perswade the Rod and the Staffe Exod. 32. compelled After a shepheards whistle commeth a dogge after Doctrine God the Author of Government commeth justice GOD led his people like sheepe by the hands of Moses and Aaron the one is to governe the soules the other the bodies of men in good order The Magistrate must kill sin Psal 80. with the Sword the Minister must destroy it with the Word The Magistrate must carefully protect and defend the Sacraments of grace the Minister must faithfully dispence and deliver the Word of truth The Magistrate must behold the outward person the Minister must regard the inward man the Magistrate must punish sinne the Minister reprove iniquity the Magistrate must respect the publicke peace of the Common-wealth the Minister the inward peace of the conscience the Magistrate must correct the body the Minister reforme the soule the Magistrate must prohibit outward wickednesse the Minister forbid the inward corruption of the heart the Magistrate must subdue with his hand the Minister reprove with his tongue the Magistrate must force with violence the Minister teach with patience and when Magistrate and Minister the Sword and the Word goe thus hand in hand together then Kingdomes prosper like the Apple Tree of Persia that beareth fruit monthly for then Are there thrones set for judgement even the Psal 122. 5. thrones of the house of David And therefore Ieremy lamented the overrhrow of the Kingdome and of the Priest as the decay of Ierusalem the Eclipse of all their light God governed his people Exod. 12. Acts 13. of Israel first with a Prophet then with Iudges foure hundred and thirty yeeres Thirdly with Kings as 1 Sam. 8. Fourthly with Dukes and Nobles after the captivity but what the superiour be Hag. 1. it skilleth not so there be a superiour Nam malum quidem est ubi nullus est principatus it is passing evill whereas there is no government For when as there was no King in Israel every man did that which seemed good in his owne eyes The learned make three kindes of Government and all to bee obeyed As first a Monarchie Secondly an Aristocracie Thirdly a Democratie To the which they oppose Tyrannidem Oligarchiam Anarchiam Our regiment is a Monarchy that of the Germanes and Switzers seemeth to be an Aristocracie that of the Low-countries a Democratie which of these three is the best is not agreed upon among the learned Some doe advance the government of many because many are not so soone corrupted as one may be even as a great quantity of water will not so soone putrifie as will a small portion But these must on the other side consider that it is a great deale more hard to find many good than one Reasons why Monarchy is the best forme of government and it is most likely that such an one will prove best whom the Nobility of Royall bloud and Princely examples of predecessors doe invite unto vertue Others doe advance the government of one because it is first most agreeable to nature as Ierome doth witnesse saying In apibus principes sunt grues unum sequuntur ordine literato Imperator unus Dux unus provinciae in navi unus gubernator in domo unus dominus c. Bees have their chiefe governour the Cranes doe follow one another in an exquisite order there is one
iratus foris mundus ardens intus conscientia urens Anselmus Thinke thou seest all this goe a little out of thy selfe and meditate a little of these sorrowes thinke upon Cain Achitophel Iudas c. thinke thou seest their eyes distill like fountaines their teeth clatter like armed men their mindes contemplating endlesse misery their memories recounting their damnable iniquities their eyes beholding Legions of uncleane spirits their eares hearing the roarings of fiends their noses smelling Sulphur and brimstone their hands catching nothing but flames of fire thinke a little of this nay thinke continually of this For so Chrysostome would have us in all our meetings to speake of nothing but of hell of this blacknesse of darkenesse that so by a Christian course of life we may avoid it for the paine of the damned is so great as a man would not undergoe it an houre for ten thousand worlds and the damned would give ten thousand worlds if it were in them for to give for one houres release of these torments But to follow this a little further If Christ suffering for the sinnes of the world felt such an extremity of torment that hee was like water powred out that all his bones were out of ioynt that his heart was as melting waxe that his strength was dried up like a potsherd and that his tongue did cleave to his iawes Psal 22. 14 15. Againe if his torment was such as that hee did not sweate water only but water and bloud and was in such an Agony that an Angell from heaven was sent to comfort him Luk. 23. If his teares and sorrowes were such that there was but one word betweene him and desperation crying My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Mat. 27. 46. then what are the paines of the damned O brethren the paines of hell are the whole weight of Gods wrath If the weight of Gods finger bee so great when he striketh us with collicks with gowtes with plurisies with Apoplexies There be all torments in hell of all sorts of all partes c. O what is the weight of his whole hand If his wrath be kindled yea but a little it taketh on like the fire and maketh the hard rocks cleave asunder at the sound of it what will it doe then when it is kindled totally There bee many plagues and torments in this life which make a man to wish with Iob that his mothers wombe had been his grave Iob. 3. Now if a litle griefe be so great in this life what shall bee their griefe when the streames of Gods wrath shall fall upon them How fearefull have Gods iudgements beene against sinne in this life How grievous was the burning of Sodom Gen. 19. how fearefull the swallowing up of Corah Dathan and Abiram Numb 16. how lamentable the destruction of Ierusalem What a grievous sight was the burning of this towne How fearfull are those plagues that God menaceth Levit. 26. Deuter. 28. If Gods iudgements against sinne in this life be so grievous how grievous will his iudgements bee in the life and world to come when the wicked shall lie in hell like sheep and death shall devoure them Againe to see the Iustice of God against Apoc. 9. sinne gather it by this argument as men that use to take the length of one arme by another looke how great the mercy of God is so is his iustice great in pardoning great in punishing If in this life the punishment of God be so grievous what will they be in the life to come For here iustice is mixed with mercy what shall it bee when there shall be iudgement without mercy Iam. 3. The Schoolemen affirme that in hell there is Ignis ardoris foetoris terroris ardoris as in mount Aetna foetoris as in mount Egla terroris as in America and in India and certainly all those are in hell Tophet is prepared of old it is prepared for the King it is made large and deep the burning thereof is fire and much wood and the breath of Esa 30. 33. the Lord is a river of brimstone to kindle it Another Schooleman speaking of these torments saith that there is first bonds Take him saith the Gospell bind him hand and foot Luk. 12. Secondly there is darkenesse cast him into utter darkenesse Mat. 22. Thirdly intollerable heate and stinch and therefore it is called a lake burning with fire and brimstone Apoc. 19. Fourthly sequestration from Gods presence Goe yee cursed into everlasting hell fire Mat. 25. Fifthly Thirst Father Abraham send Lazarus that he may dippe the tip of his finger in water to coole c. Luk. 16. Sixthly vision of Divels Mat. 25. Seventhly the howling of the damned Eighthly deprivation of all heavenly ioyes and at last he concludeth that there be all torments in hell For as the Painter being vnable to set out the sorrowes of Niobe was enforced to wrap up her head in a cloute So this Schooleman being unable to set out the torments of hell he is faine to wrap up his speech with all torments There be all torments in hell Other Schoolemen doe distinguish the paines of Hell and Paines in hell double Poena damni poena sensus they say there is Poena sensus poena damni of this paine of sense Gregorie speaketh thus Vae illis quibus paratus est ignis inextinguibilis dolor intolerabilis foetor incomparabilis timor horribilis ubi nil audietur nisi fletus luctus nil videbitur nisi animae damnatae daemones nil odorabitur nisi sulphur foetor nil sentietur nisi ardor ignis habebunt damnati in oculis lachrymas in auribus rugitus in dentibus stridorem in naribus foetorem in ore eiulatum in corde dolerem ineffabilem in omnibus membris ignis ardorem Woe unto them for whom is prepared unquenchable fire paine intolerable stinch incomparable and horrible feare where nothing shall bee heard but weeping and wailing nothing shall be seene but damned soules and Divels nothing shall be smelt but a sulphurous stench nothing shall bee felt but burning and fire the damned shall have teares in their eyes roaring in their eares gnashing in their teeth stench in their nostrils howlings in their mouthes unspeakable griefe in their hearts in all their members the burning of fire this is the paine of sense that the damned shal feele The pain of losse is they shal never see the face of God but they shall be punished with eternall perdition from the presence of God and from the glory of his power 2. Thess 1. 9. If Absalom thought it such a griefe to want his fathers presence and not to see his face 2. Sam. 14. what griefe will it be to the wicked to want the presence of God and not to see his face in the sight of whom is the knowledge of all things 1 Cor. 13. Augustine saith Mala inferni dicere aut cogitare ut sint nemo potest priora sunt quippt
earthly If wee doe beleeve that God doth forbeare and forgive us our sinnes and not deale with us according to our deservings if he sanctify us with his spirit and make our bodies temples of the Holy Ghost if he turne us unto himselfe working our conversion which is as great a worke as at the first to create us we may bee well assured that he will deliver our soules from death and preserve us from famine For if he spared not his owne Sonne but hath given him Psal 33. 19. Rom. 8. 32. Luk. 12. 32. for us all to death how shall he not with him give us all things also Murmure not then for the want of outward things which perish with their use For it is your Fathers pleasure to give you a Kingdome This is the way to represse murmuring Yet men many times are murmurers yea Gods children themselves sometime fall into this sinne but this is to let us see our infirmity and Gods mercy not to excuse this sinne True it is that Iob did passe the bounds Iob 3. 3 4 5. 11 12. of patience saying Let the day perish wherein I was borne and the night wherein it was said that a man child is conceived let the day bee darkenesse Let not God regard it from above that is let it be put out of the number of dayes Neither let the light shine upon it but let darkenesse and the shadow of death sustaine it and let the clouds remaine upon it Let them make it fearefull as a bitter day Why died I not in the byrth and why died I not when I came out of the wombe Why did the knees prevent me and why did I sucke the brests And so Ieremy Cursed be the day wherein I was borne and let not the day wherein my Ier. 20. 14 15 16. mother bare me be blessed Cursed be the man that shewed my father saying A man child is borne unto thee and comforted him and let that man be as the Cities which the Lord hath overturned and repented not and let them he are the cry in the morning and the shouting at noone day The Ion. 4. 8. like may be said of Ionas who wished in his heart to die and said It is better to die then to live And the same may also be said of Elias It God never failes the faithfull is enough Lord take away my life I am no better then my Fathers These are examples to make us beware not to bee followed In multis peccavimus omnes in many things we sinne all when the water is Iam. 3. troubled it is not cleare nor good to drinke of When mens minds are troubled their speeches are passionate and grievous but God shall strengthen them if they pertaine to him premimur sed non opprimimur We are pressed but not oppressed wee 2 Cor. 4. 8. fall but we rise againe Let us chide our soules as David did Why art thou so heavy ô my soule why art thou so disquieted within me Waite Psal 42. 14. on God relent not murmure not though troubles bee long and great dic animae tuae Quid tumultuaris say unto thy soule Why doest thou make tumult why doest thou fret and storme Art thou hungry God will feed thee as he did Elias by Ravens that brought him meate morning and evening Art thou weake God will strengthen thee as he did Shamgar with his Oxe goad Art thou shut up close in prison God will deliver thee as hee did Peter the brazen gates of their own accord shall open unto thee Pharao may pursue Israel but he shall be drowned in the red Sea Ieroboam may stretch out his hand but it shall wither Abraham may lift up his hand to smite Isaac but Gods Angell shall stay him and a ramme in a bush shall be present to bee sacrificed in the roome and stead of him The Arrians may lie in waite for Ambrose but he shall passe thorow the middest of them without hurt A lion shall feed Macarius A Hart shall bring meate to Aegidius A wild Asse shall carry Haebaenus over the sea A whale shall receive Ionas safely The Duke of Savoy may besiege Geneva sed providebit Deus quoth Beza God shall provide Ne desis Deo in fide non deerit tibi in ope Be not wanting to God in faith and hee will not bee wanting unto thee in help Trust thou in the Lord and doe good dwell in the land and thou shalt bee fed assuredly Psal 137. 3 4 5. and delight thy selfe in the Lord and he shall give thee thy hearts desire Commit thy way unto the Lord and trust in him and he shall bring it to passe Sed hoc facile dictu sed arduum factis This is soone spoken but not so soone done few will in patience possesse their soules scarce one of a thousand will beare his Crosse patiently without murmuring Let us but want any corporall food by and by wee breake out What meanes the Lord to kil us with famine What greater sinners are we then such and such that have the world at will Would God hee would either amend these things or make an end of us who can endure such an hard time better to dye any way then to dye of Famine But away with this murmuring and let us rely upon God and say with Iob Though hee killme yet will I put my trust in him There is murmuring also against man grudging either at their wealth or at their love and favour or at the credit and preferment wherein they goe before other men So the Pharises murmured against Iesus and against his Disciples because the One man repines ordinarily against another people followed them and thus the Grecians murmured against the Disciples of Christ because their widowes were neglected in their daily ministring a fault whether more bad or common Act. 6. 1. among us it is hard to say For what more ordinary among men than murmuring If he be our superiour in wealth or in honour or in credit wee murmure against him as too great to dwell so neere us and if he bee our equall wee grudge that hee should thrive and prosper aswell as wee if he be our inferiour wee disdaine him Thus among all sorts there is murmuring so that whereas all things should bee done without murmuring nothing is done without murmuring one man repines against another We say as Peter said Lord what shall this man doe We grudge like the men of the vineyard Nemo sua sorte contentus Iohn 21 21. Mat. 21. No man resteth contented with his lot It was wont to be a proverbe Homo homini Deus One man is a God unto another but now Homo homini Daemon One man is a Divell to another to repine disdaine and hurt another yet are wee commanded to bee patient and to settle our hearts not to grudge one against another Iam. 5. 8 9. lest we be condemned The people murmure
opened her mouth to sing but she lost her meate by it Thus the flatterer aimeth at advantage at gaine at profit he maketh a shew he is thy friend and wisheth thee well but he is but a verball friend a friend from teeth outward a flattering friend a friend in shew but not in deed like Aristotles fallacions and falling starres which seeme to be and are not a friend only in name one that will give thee his hand but not the heart for he hath a tongue to commend thee but yet no longer then it is for his advantage like Hiena he hath a faire face but a false heart like Iael to Sisera We read in Theognis this saying Seeme with thy tongue to flatter all but in thy deeds love none at all O these flatterers they are lucritam cupidi so greedy of gaine that they have animam venalem a soule to sell for quid non mortalia pectora cogit auri sacra fames What doth not the cursed hunger of gold drive men to doe This sets them aworke to flatter lie sweare and forsweare and what not Salomon saith of the harlot that she will not leave a man worth a morsell of bread no more will these flatterers they will soake and sucke men as the Ivie doth the Oake and bring them at last into our Ladies bands and make them sing by beggery Chrysostome saith Sicut finis oratoris est dilectione persuasisse medici medicina curasse sic adulatoris est suavi loquio se ditasse As the end of an Oratour is to perswade in loue and the end of a Physician to cure by medicine so the end of the flatterer is with his sweethony-sugar-candy speeches to inrich himselfe and begger thee and the end of his clawing is gaine advantage I will conclude with the saying of Augustine Melius est a quolibet reprehendi quà m ab adulante laudari It is better to bee blamed of any then praised of a flatterer Augustine being asked What was the first second and third part of a good man of a Christian answered Humility so if I were asked What were the first second and third part of a vile man I will answere Pride and he hath pride whose mouth speaketh proud things And of all mouthes let the Popish mouthes goe in the quintessence of pride and bragging they speake of merits workes of Iustification and supererogation enough for themselves and their neighbours wherein they injure both the Iustice Mercy of God for his Iustice cannot be perfect if he take for satisfaction either all or part of that which proceedeth from a The Popes and their flatterers the proudest vaunters sinner they injure his mercies For it is not perfect absolute if he forgive not all the debt but receiveth part of us But his bloud clenseth us from all sinne originall and actuall sinnes secret and open sinnes sinnes of omission sinnes of commission his bloud clenseth all purgeth all doth away all But to proceed 1 Iohn 1. 7. the Canonists say that Papa potest dispensare contra jus divinum jus naturae contra Apostolos contra omnia praecepta Dei The Pope can dispense against the Law Divine the Law of Nature against the Apostles against all the Commandements of God Let God men and Angels judge what mouth now speaketh proudly The great Cham of Tartaria after he hath dined soundeth a trumpet and giveth leave to all Christian Princes to goe to dinner and by this prety conceit maketh himselfe head over Kings and Emperours because Peter said Ecce hîc sunt duo gladij Behold here are two swords Thus this Italian Priest is not ashamed to be called Dominus Deus noster Papa our Lord God the Pope to be kneeled unto with these words Agnus Dei qui tollis peccata mundi miserere nobis Lambe of God that takest away the sinnes of the world have mercy upon us As was Martin the fifth Harding calleth us Goliah and themselves litle David but forasmuch as they have neither Davids sling in their hands nor Davids stones in their scrip they must not looke that the wise Ladies of Israel will with their lutes and timbrels sing before them that David hath slaine his ten thousand but he is Goliah that 1 Sam. 18. crieth I cannot erre Habeo omnes leges in scrinio pectoris I have all lawes in the closet of my brest I am above Councels I judge all no man judgeth me Sum rex regum I am King of Kings I can doe whatsoever Christ could doe All power is given unto me But let us deale with the Papists as Agesilaus did with his enemies Mat. 28. hee pulled off their bombasted coats and shewed their apish wearish bodies to his souldiers saying Ecce ingentia corpora Ecce magna illorum ossa behold their mighty bodies behold their bigge bones The Pope calleth himselfe servum servorum the servant of servants but can hee that is carried on Noble mens shoulders that caused the French King to trotte by his bridle as Zacharie did Childericke the Emperour to hold his stirrop Noble men to kisse his feet bee servus servorum the servant of servants I need not name Hildebrands usage to Henry the fourth at Canusia nor that of Clemens the fifth to Francis Dandalus nor that of Alexander the third to Fredericke the Emperour nor that of Innocentius the third to King Iohn of England nor of Pius Quintus to the Queene But to leave the man of sinne himselfe and to come to the frogges that creep out of his mouth what a croking doe they make How doe their mouthes exceed in pride Staphilus calleth our people hogges dogges Harding calleth our Bishops and Ministers Cumane Asses Martin calleth them novos Oratores Popish Priests and Iesuites notorious railers new Orators Stultos adolescentes Foolish yong men non tam disertos in errore quà m desertos à veritate not so cunning in errour as ignorant of the truth Bellarmine calleth our writers Pecudes Gigantes Monstra Beasts Giants Monsters and saith that they give no honour to Christ nor Angels nor Saints Thus they disgrace us in words and their mouthes speake proud swelling things when they cannot confute us they raile on us and deale with us as Nero dealt with the Christians who hurled them to dogs to be devoured and when the mastives would not touch them he clad the Christians in Beares skinnes to kindle the fury of the dogs that they might take them to bee beasts and not men so they impute all lewdnesse to us to make men thinke that we are that which we are not they are like the beast Bonosus mentioned by Aristotle who having his hornes reflexed not being able to defend himselfe with them three or foure furlongs off poysoneth the dogges with his dung which is so hot as it burneth off all their haire So when they cannot hurt us with truth they defile us with the durt and dung of their calumnies this veine of railing
hee should find an horse but lose his life whereupon hee returning ioyfull that hee deluded the Oracle fell into the hands of King Attalus whom he had abused in speeches was by him commanded to be throwne head-long from a Rocke called the horse and so perished Pope Leo the tenth hearing Cardinall Bembus speaking of the Gospell broke out into this blasphemy Quantum nobis ac nostro caetui profuerit e◠de Christe fabula satis est omnibus seculis What profit and commodity hath redounded to us and our order by that fable reported of Christ the world can beare sufficient winesse but hee died miserably among his cuppes cùm nec Coelum nec infernum post hanc vitam esse crederet beleeving neither Heaven nor Hell after this life but thought heaven but a mockage and hell but a scare-crow So Iulius the third making his belly his God commanded a hot Peacocke to be kept cold for supper and being deceaved of it began bitterly to blaspheme a Cardinall sitting by intreated his holinesse not to be mooved for a trifle Quid inquit si Deus voluit usque adeo propter unum pomum irasci c Not moved quoth he shall God be so angry with our first parents as for an apple to deprive them of Paradise and not I that am his vicar bee much more angry for a Peacock so much better thē an apple But God met with him and hee died of a gowte These are examples for mock-Gods to deride the Lord of hoasts no longer for his hand will bee heavie upon them one day Scoffing and iesting the bafest fruit of Wit The second sort of mocking is Irrisio hominum mocking of men but the disgrace alights on God for as the defacing of the image is the disgrace of the Prince so the mocking of a Christian is the scorning of Christ David was dishonoured in the disgrace of his servants and Christ derided in the derision Mat. 24. of a Christian For what is done unto them is done unto him yet many offend greatly in this regard applying their wits and understanding to nothing else but to frumps and mockes and jests to disgrace others to move laughter if they can nip or by a grudging scoffe disgrace another honester than themselves then wee call them merrie Greekes pleasant companions good fellowes but this is the least harvest the least fruit of their wit Iocis utuntur qui currum potius quà m curiam decent they use jests befitting rather the dung-cart than the Court and which will sooner procure vomit than laughter and then they triumph but indeed sine victoria without victorie These are dogges not men Nam malorum duo sunt genera there be two kindes of bad men alii Canes alii porci some are dogges some are hogges many are hogges their heads bee dull their eares deafe their eyes blinde and the whole man so cold as they desire not the knowledge of Gods wayes but most are dogges reproaching jesting deriding mocking the professors of the truth but take heed of such dogges Of these dogges the Apostle speaketh thus without shall be dogges and enchanters and whoremongers c. these shall never have any right in the Tree of life nor enter Phil. 3. 2. Apoc. 22. 15. into the gates of the heavenly City and hee nameth first these Dogges because these dogges these mockers are in the height of sinne and therefore he placeth them foremost as Vrias in the fore-front of the battell As Seneca said of Scylla that hee left killing when none were left to bee killed so these men will leave scoffing when there is no honest man left to be playd upon But let us not sinne with an high hand these men are furthest from mercy For if we sinne willingly after that wee have received Heb. 10. 26 27. the knowledge of the Truth there remaineth no more Sacrifice for sinne but a fearefull looking for judgement and violent fire which shall drowne the adversary These mockers are the worst sort of men David nameth three sorts of sinners the first are they that walke after the counsell of the ungodly The second are they that stand in the way of sinners Phil. 1. 1. And the third are they that sit in the seate of the scornefull these last are the worst they are set in cathedra pestilentiae in the chaire of pestilence for so the Septuagint translate it The Scripture discovers unto us a three-fold chaire or seate First of justice and such a one may that Throne seeme to bee which Salomon erected The second is of Doctrine as our Saviour Christ saith of 1 Reg. 10. 18. the Pharises They sit in Moses chaire Divers notorious scoffing Atheists And thirdly we read of the chaire of Pestilence where these mockers sit here they doe ease themselves and take their delight as sometimes Babylon did who vaunted so much that shee Mat. 23. 2. did sit like a Queene and should see no mourning as it were in a scorne of all that God could doe unto her And this was the case of cursed Pharaoh who seemed to mocke God to his face when he sayd I know not the Lord neither will I let the children of Israel goe these mockers are pestilent fellowes their breath is Exod. 9. as the breath of a Basiliske it infecteth the ayre David complaineth of them The proud meaning the wicked which contemne Gods Word and tread Religion under their feet have had me exceedingly in derision and yet flout they mocke they never so much no sooner doth God touch them but they shake and quiver like a leafe Their heart dieth within them like Nabal 1 Sam. 2 5. For none feare more at the last then these proud scorners that jest at God and all goodnesse Dionysius the Tyrant of Sicily contemned derided God finding Jupiter Olympus in a golden coate pulled it off and gave him a linsie-woolsie coate warme for Winter and light for Summer and plucked away Aesculapius his golden beard saying His Father Apollo had no beard and therefore not meete that he should be better than his Father he tooke away the golden cups and rings from the Images et se accipere non auferre dicebat hee said hee received them not tooke them away because the Images held out their hands as if they had offered him them Having gotten a prey and having a prosperous winde hee said that God favoured Pirats Such a scorner was Clearchus of Pontus and Aristodemus of Troy but no sooner did God touch Dionysiw but he trembled hee durst trust no Barbour but caused his daughters to burne his haire with hot Walnut-shels Clearchus of Pontus slept in a Chest and Aristodemus of Troy had a bed in the Ayre they feared their owne shadow Thus Pashur was a terror to himselfe to all his friends for Ieremy said unto him The Lord hath not called thy name Pashur but Magermissabib that is feare and terror round about It made
the beginning and abode not in the truth but now they abound like Bees in Hibla like Serpents in Iohn 8. 44. Sinai like lice in Aegypt Cornelius Agrippa derided Moses calling him a coozener and said that the sea dried not up but that hee marked the tides and course of the Moone that hee drew no water out of the rocke but marked the haunts of the wild beasts The Philosophers called Christ a Magician that hee did all by Necromancie The Libertines contemne all the Apostles they call Mathew an usurer Peter an Apostata Luke a pelting physician Paul vas confractum a broken vessell Iohn adolescentem stolidum a foolish yong man The Novatians called Cyprianus Caprianus the Arrians called Athanasius Sathanasius but all this is nothing to the contempt of these dogs We may say now as the Prophet said The children shall presume against the ancient and the vile against Esay 3. 3. 2 Reg. 2. the honorable The boyes of Bethel scorned Elisha and the sawcy boyes of England scorne at all doctrine Veni Domine Iesu Come Lord Iesus come quickly O beloved our time is now to bee wise To kisse the Sonne if we do not Mercy passeth and Iudgement Psal 2. commeth and warned men must die in their sinnes and their bloud be upon them Lastly he noteth in these mockers that they live at randon They walke after their lusts like beasts they fulfill their sensuall appetites they doe what seemeth good in their owne eyes They make provision for the flesh to fulfill the lusts of it All their care is for Rom. 13. 14. the flesh none for the spirit all for the body little or none for 2 Cor. 10. 3. the soule all for earth little for heaven they walke after the flesh and they warre after the flesh For so doth Paul distinguish Rom. 16. 18. them these men are the slaves of the flesh they serve not the Lord but their belly they thinke themselves the only men of the world and count their life the happiest promise to themselves liberty yet are they worse then gally-slaves the vilest prisoners in the world other prisoners have mē to be their Iaylers these have 2 Tim. 2. 26. Mat. 22. 13. divels For they are in the snare of the Divell and are taken of him at his will Others have chaines of iron these have chaines of darkenes others are for a time these for ever Thou shalt not come out thence Mat. 5. 26. till thou hast paid the utmost farthing but that will never be now that 2 Pet. 2. 19. they are prisoners Note Peters reason Of whomsoever a man is overcome even unto the same is he in bondage but their malice their envy their pride overcommeth them therfore be they in bondage to them Pius etsi serviat liber est a godly man though he serveth yet is he a free man I will walke at libertie saith David for I seeke thy precepts Malus etiamsi regnat seruus est a bad man although he ruleth yet is he a servant et tot dominorum quot vitiorum and that of so many masters as he hath vices Hereupō saith our Saviour Iohn 8. 34 35. Whosoever committeth sinne is the servant of sinne and the servant abideth not in the house for ever His leachery envy malice covetousnesse The Vnderstanding and Will the subiects of Wisedome mastereth him Be not therefore overcome of evill but overcome evill with goodnesse Vincimur non vincimus wee are not overcome wee not overcome Let not sinne therefore raigne in your mortall bodies that yee should obey it in the lusts thereof And againe Rom. 6. 12. 21. Rom. 12. 14. Let not sinne have dominion over you In these men all the members of their body are defiled they bee arma injustiviae weapons of unrighteousnesse and all the powers of their soule are corrupted peccati enim sedes est anima the soule is the seate of sinne the two powers of the soule are Vnderstanding and Will either wee know not that which is good or wee cannot performe it for the weakenesse of our understanding The naturall wise man 1 Cor. 2. 14. whose knowledge is not cleered by Gods Spirit perceiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishnesse unto him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned And further the Apostle saith that the wisedome of the Flesh is death and the reason hee rendreth after in the next verse saying Because Rom. ◠6 7. the wisedome of the flesh is enmity against God for it is not subject unto the Law of God neither can be Naturally our cogitations are darkened and wee strangers from the life of God through the ignorance that is in Ephes 4. 18. us Thus wee either know not that which is good or wee doe it not by reason of the weakenesse of our understanding Or otherwise wee know Gods Commandements and doe them not ob voluntatis defectum because our wils are defective our wils are readily carried unto lusts to fulfill them not to the commandements of God to obey them Video meliora proboque I see better Ovid. things ct I allow them quoth Medea We fulfill the lusts of the flesh and of the minde serving lusts and divers pleasures Vnderstanding Ephes 2. Tit. 33. and Will are the two subjects of true Wisedome in the one Knowledge in the other Affection cleaveth and sticketh and both are to be holpen by Grace the Vnderstanding without the Will is weake and profiteth not and the Will without it is blinde To know God and not to love him is very little and who can love him except hee know him Knowledge and Vnderstanding is the gate by which things at pleasure enter but wee must not stand in the gate wee must goe further for God respecteth not how much a man understandeth but how much hee loveth affectus subiugat and how much he subdueth his affections The Vnderstanding is to be enlightned the Will to be moved the Vnderstanding to be instructed the Will to be defended the Vnderstanding to be lightned by Faith the Will to be inflamed with love to trample tread all lust under the feete Hee that can overcome his lusts as Samson the Philistines with the jaw-bone of an Asse as David did Goliah Iudg. 13. 1 Sam. 18. with a sling he that can overcome this tower of Babylon pull downe these walles of Iericho hee shall see the goodnesse of the Lord Psal 27. in the land of the Living We talke of Christianity but it is true in the Land of the living wee talke of Christianity but it is true Mortification a signe of Iustification Christianity true manhood to master thy lusts For they that are Christs have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts This is Christianity indeed this is to professe to know God both in Gad. 5. 24. Tit. 1. 15. 2
Tim 3. Mar. 10. Iohn 8. Iudg. 3. Iudg 15. words and in workes this is both to have a shew of godlinesse the power of godlines this is to have both leaves fruit this is to be a true child of Abraham We read of the strength of Shamgar who slew six hundred men with an Oxe goad of Samson who slew a whole Army of the Philistines with a jaw bone of David who smote down a Giant with a pibble stone of Hercules 1 Sam. 17. who overcame a Lion and a Beare and threw downe the birds of Stinphalida and put downe an Amazon a mighty warrior and cut off the head of Hydra but as Lactantius said Lib. 1. cap. 9. these are nothing hee is a stronger man who overcommeth his wrath than hee that overcommeth a Lion he that treadeth under his desires than hee that casteth downe Birds and ravenous fowles he that suppresseth his lust than he that suppresseth the Amazons Hercules for all his strength was a slave to Omphale and sate spinning in a womans attire at her feete with a Rocke and a Distaffe He that is slow to anger is better than a mighty man and hee that ruleth his owne minde is better than hee that winneth a Prov. 16. 32. Citie We are desirous to know the state of our Salvation our Election and Glorification Let us then beginne where God beginneth at the renouncing of our lusts For the grace of God that bringeth Salvation to all men teacheth us to deny ungodlinesse and Tit. 2. 12. worldly lusts None can looke for the blessed hope but they that have denyed ungodlinesse worldly lusts None can say There is layd up for mee a crowne of righteousnesse but such as can say I have fought a good fight except they have striven against 2 Tim. 4. 7. their lusts Election is a thing revealed by steps As therefore it is madnesse to a man that climbeth a ladder to labour to set his foot at the first step on the highest step of the Ladder but to beginne at the lowest and so goe to the highest Paul maketh these steps Vocation Iustification Sanctification Glorification Rom. 8. so that if I would come to Glorification the highest step and is in Heaven with God then must I beginne at the lowest step But to prosecute this worthy point farther If I be called of God then am I justified if justified then am I sanctified if sanctified now then shall I be glorified hereafter Paul saith There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Iesus Yea but who Rom. 8. are those Which walke not after the flesh but after the Spirit So then if I would know whether I be in Christ Iesus or no I must looke how I walke how I tame the flesh and the lusts of it If I finde that God in mercy hath wrought in me a change a hatred of sinne a love of vertue a zeale to his Gospell a care of his Glory a quenching of my lusts and concupiscence then is the conclusion inferred I am in Christ Iesus I am elected Thus wee If no sanctification no assurance of glorification make our election sure to our selves as the Apostle counselleth us Make your election and calling sure by good works it is known to God before the foundations of the World were laid but it is knowne to us by the effect of it so that still our rule holdeth Rom. 8. 2. 2 Pet. 1. 10. If we will know whether wee bee elected to live in Heaven with God we must ever looke how we lead our lives in earth with men Wee must give all diligence joyne vertue godly manners with our Faith and with Vertue Knowledge and with Knowledge 2 Pet. 1. 5 6 7 8. Temperance and with Temperance Patience and with Patience Godlinesse with Godlinesse Brotherly kindnesse and with Brotherly kindnesse Love For if these things be among us and abound they will make that wee shall not bee idle nor unfruitfull in the knewledge of our Lord Iesus Christ If these things bee then are wee happy if God hath changed us from carelesse to careful men and women from drinking riot whoredome prophanenesse to holinesse of life then are wee Gods then Heaven is ours Now live like a Christian among men and ever live like a Saint among the Angels of Heaven But now live in sinne in lusts and pleasures follow the flesh and then rot in the reward of it goe to the Divell and his angels the end of these thing is death I pray you Rom. 6. therefore as you love your life with God another day and assurance of it to your soules in this world Give your bodies a living sacrifice holy and acceptable to God and fashion not your selves according Rom. 12. 1 2. to this World but bee yee changed by the renewing of your minde and whatsoever things are true whatsoever things are honest whatsoever things are just whosoever things are pure whatsoever things pertaine to Phil. 4. 8. love whatsoever things are of good report if there be any vertue or if there bee any praise thinke on these things This desire is the fruit of our life and there is not in the world a better portion This we have chosen and in this we will dwell untill the fulnesse of time that we shall say in our course Nunc dimittis Lord now let thy servant depart in peace These shall assure us that we are the Lords cared Luk. 2. for heere and elected else-where to live with him for ever THE THIRTIETH SERMON VERS XIX These are makers of Sects naturall men having not the Spirit Sectaries cause division in the Church AS before in the former verse he called them Mockers walkâ—ng after their owne ungodly lusts so here he calleth them Sectaries not keeping the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace not remembring that there is Ephes 4. 3 4. but one body one Spirit one faith one God and Father over all which is above all and in us all But these Sectaries set Altar against Altar and cut in sunder Christs seamelesse coate they divide Christ Such were the Corinthians one said I am Pauls another I am Apollos a third I am Cephas a fourth I am Christs Is Christ divided This dividing of Christ 1 Cor. 1. 12. is a signe that men are carnall unregenerate so reasoneth the Apostle Yee are carnall for whereas there is among you envying and 1 Cor. 3. 3 5. strife and divisions are yee not carnall and walke as men Who is Paul And who is Apollos but ministers by whom yee beleeved There was a rough Altar in Ierusalem to note the imperfection of the law and there was but one Altar to note the unity of the Church Well Exod. 27. said Ierome Meum propositum est antiquos legere singula probare tenere Iorome quae bona sunt à fide Ecclesiae Catholicae non recedere My purpose is to
will not rectified Deest enim intellectus voluntatis consiliariâ—s for understanding is wanting which is the Counseller of the soule The naturall man perceiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishnesse 1 Cor. 2. 14. unto him neither can hee know them because they are spiritually discerned at spiritus non natura sed gratia the spirit is not of nature but of grace So said Christ of the whole world O righteous Father Iohn 17. 25. the World hath not knowne thee but I have knowne thee and these have knowne c. therefore hee prayed for his Apostles and in them for us all I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the World but that thou keepe them from evill And againe Sanctifie them Iohn 17. 15 17. with thy truth by nature wee are the children of wrath by grace we are Gods adopted Sonnes Hereupon saith the Apostle In times past we walked according to the course of the World and after the spirit that ruleth in the Ayre and that now worketh in the children of disobedience among whome also wee had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh and fulfilling the will of the flesh and of the minde Ephes 2. 3 4 5. and were by nature the children of Wrath nor by creation but by Adams transgression and so by birth as well as others But God which is rich in mercy through the great love wherewith he loved us when wee were dead by sinnes hath quickned us together in Christ by whose grace we are saved There are but two things in us either nature or grace either flesh or spirit Now in the state of nature al are accursed in the state of grace we are blessed For by grace wee beleeve and faith Act. 18. 27. Iohn 1. 12 13. maketh us the sonnes of God for as many as received him to them he gave power to be the Sonnes of God even to them that beleeve in his name which are borne not of bloud nor of the will of the flesh nor of the No true good in us by nature till regenerate will of man but of God Where he distinguisheth of two births the one naturall and the other spirituall a birth from men a birth from God a generation by nature a regeneration by the Spirit as he doth againe to Nicodemus Except a man be borne of Water and of the Spirit hee cannot enter the Kingdome of God and againe Yee Cap. 3. 5 6. Psal 2. 7. must be borne againe there is no naturall Sonne of God but the Lord Iesus we are all the adopted Sonnes of God in Christ and by Christ by his meanes we are raised up together and made to sit together Ephes 2. 6. Rom. 8. 17. in Heavenly places For saith the Apostle If we be children wee are also heires even the heires of God and heires annexed with Christ c. we bring nothing from our mothers wombe but death and damnation every one must say with David I was shapen in wickednes Psal 51. 5. and in sinne hath my mother conceived me Quis dabit mundum de immundo Who can bring a cleane thing out of filthinesse What Iob 14. 4. can be had from the egge of a Cockatrice but a Serpent From a spider but venome from the Taxus tree in India but poyson from the bitter poole Exanthus but bitter water Wee have not Math. 7. Lambes from Woolves no grapes from thornes nor figges from thistles Well said the Schooleman Quòd dona naturalia in Adamo sunt corrupta supernaturalia ablata ille ut radix nos ut rami radix est venenata ergo rami Our naturall gifts in Adam were corrupt our supernaturall taken away he as the roote we as the boughes the root is poisoned therefore the boughes like the waters of Mara untill Moses put in the sweet wood untill God Exod. 17. infuse grace for by grace we are saved and where sinne abounded there grace abounded much more that as sinne had raigned unto death so Ephes 2. 8. Rom. 5. 20 21. might grace also raigne by righteousnesse unto eternall life The Pelagians held that sinne came by imitation not by propagation but Paul confuteth them saying As by one man sinne entred into the world and death by sinne and so death went over all men forasmuch as Rom. 5. 12. all men have sinned c. These men quoth Iude walke as Naturall men that is in all sinne and vanity as is said of the Gentiles That they walked in the vanity of their minde having their cogitations darkened being strangers from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them because of the hardnesse of their hearts So Paul reasoned with the Corinths Are yee not carnall For whereas there is among you envying and strife and divisions 1 Cor. 3. 3. are yee not carnall and walke as men even so reason wee with you When malice envy rancour whoredome covetousnesse pride raigneth among us are wee not naturall men For God would cut downe these sinnes as a sickle If yee live after the flesh yee shal dye but if yee through the Spirit mortify the deeds of the flesh Rom. 8. 13. yee shall live Yea many naturall men goe before us in brideling their lusts and affections Aristides being by the unjust Law of Ostracisme in Athens banished and being asked what hee would to Athens answered Se nihil velle quin tantam rerum prosperitatem ut illis nunquam in mentem veniat Aristides hee desired nothing We should strive to exceed naturall men but so much prosperity to Athens as that they might never remember Aristides The like is said of Phocion condemned to drink hemlocke the juce whereof through extreme cold is poison Being asked what he would unto his Sons said Nothing sed ne hujus unquam iniuriae velint meminisse but that they should never remeÌ„ber this injury Socrates by Philosophie brideled whoredome in himselfe and Telamon by it bare the death of his sonne patiently saying Sciebam me genuisse mortalem I did know that I begat a mortall man I take no pleasure in these prophane examples save only to ashame us as Paul did the Athenians by Aratus and the Cretians by Epimenides and the Corinths by Menander Let our righteousnesse exceed theirs else there is no roome for us in Gods Kingdome our life must have all vertues in it such a life led the Christians they could be touched with no open crime or notorious fault but that they sung Psalmes to Iesus before day as Plinius secundus writeth of them to the Emperour our Saviour Christ told his disciples that their justice must exceed the justice Mat. 5. 20. of the Scribes and Pharises and so must wee tell all Christians that they must exceed Turkes and Pagans or else they shall never see the goodnesse of the Lord in the Land of the liuing yet it is reported
of the sea yet shall but a remnant bee saved The Atheists erre also who say Non est Deut There is no God no Divell no heaven no hell contrary to that of our Saviour Goe yee cursed into everlasting Hell fire The Lucianists and Epicures erre who place all happinesse in Mat. 25. 34. 41. the pleasures of this life contrary to that of the Apostle If in this life only we have hope in Christ wee are of all men the most miserable 1 Cor. 15. 19. The Philosophers and Pagans erre who define felicity to be the abundance of riches joyned with vertue and not the fruition of God in Christ Iesus contrary to that of our Saviour This is life Iohn 17. 3. eternall to know thee the only true God and Iesus Christ whom thou hast sent this indeed is felicity this is happinesse The Pepâ—sians erre who say that the heavenly Ierusalem is in this earth contrary to that of Paul who saith Ierusalem which is above is free which is the Gal. 4. 26. mother of us all The Origenists erre who say that the Divels shall bee saved contrary to Math. 15. The Chiliasts or Millinaries erre who say that Gods Kingdome shall last but a thousand yeeres contrary to that of the Apostle which saith That wee shall be ever 1 Thess 4. 17. with the Lord and indeed there shall never bee end of this life it shall be eternall eternall not in respect of beginning but in respect of ending it shall continue for ever and unto this end Paul saith That Christ hath abolished death and brought life of immortality 2 Tim. 1. 10. unto light by the Gospell they that have an entrance into this life shall never see end of it Suppose that the whole world were a Sea and every hundred yeeres expired a bird must drinke up one drop of it in processe of time it would come to Heaven set out by comparison of the Wombe and World passe that this huge Sea shall bee dryed up but yet many millions of yeeres must bee passed before this were done Now if a man should injoy this happy life but for the space of time in which the Sea is drying up hee would thinke his case most happy and blessed but behold the Saints shall injoy this happie life not onely for that time but for ever it is an everlasting life wee shall never see end thereof And as for the glory and happinesse of this life the quantity and quality may bee gathered from the situation of the place for Coelum Empyreum is higher than all the Heavens for Paul nameth it the third Heaven and it is called The Land of the living as if 2 Cor. 12. Psal 27. the Land which we now inhabit were a Land of dead men indeed We be dead but our life is hid with Christ in God Now if in this Col. 3. 3. Region of dead men the creatures bee so noble precious what are they in Heaven in terra viventium in the land of the living In this land of the dead behold the greatnesse of the Heavens the brightnesse of the Stars the beautie of the Earth the plainenesse of the fields the highnesse of the Mountaines the greatnesse of the Vallies the Flouds and Rivers running like the veines in a mans body Si omnia haec in terra mortuorum if all these things bee in the land of the dead what shall bee in the Land of the living Againe wee know that there bee three places in this life the first is the Wombe the second the World the third Heaven betweene these places there is a proportion For Heaven is so much greater than the World as the World is greater than the Wombe and the more excellent as well for continuance of time as greatnesse of place As touching continuance of time the first life is no longer than nine moneths the second life is fourescore yeeres the third is infinite and eternall Furthermore the diversity of dwellers in Heaven and Earth doe notably set forth unto us the difference of these two places Haec terra plena peccatorum this Earth is full of sinners 2 Pet. 3. 13. illa justorum that of just and righteous men for there dwelleth righteousnesse this of Men that of Angels for there are a company of innumerable Angels here penitents inhabit there such as have their sinnes forgiven them doe dwell Here men Hebr. 12. 22. militant there men triumphant here friends and enemies there friends onely and the elect If the inhabitants doe so differ how much doe the places differ There God shall be fulnesse of light to the understanding abundance of Peace to the Will Bern. continuance of eternitie to the Memory there the wisedome of Salomon shall bee ignorance the beautie of Absolon deformity the strength of Samson debility the treasure and wealth of Princes povertie Cur ergo in Aegypto haeremus Why doe we still sticke and stay in Aegypt Why doe wee not goe the direct way to Canaan Why feed we of acornes and not of the Tree of Eternall life the gift of God through Christ Life Why drinke wee of broken Cysternes and not of the waters of life If wee had but a little sight of this Heavenly Ierusalem wee would despise Babylon for in Heaven wee shall see God and bee equall with the Angels there wee shall partake of so great joyes as no Geometrician can measure so many as no Arithmetician can number and so wonderfull as no Rhetorician can utter had hee the tongue both of Men and Angels O ineffabilis delectatio O unspeakeble delight where God is their object a looking glasse for their eyes musicke for their eares hony for their taste sweet balsome for their smell a posie of all delights for their Heavenly hands Seeing then that there bee such and wee looke for such things Let us bee diligent to bee found of him in peace without spot and blamelesse 2 Pet. 3. 4. But to proceed As hee would have them to looke for eternall life so here he telleth them how they shall come by it namely by Christ for eternall life is the gift of God and commeth of meere mercy not of any desert of ours we never brought stone to this building The builder and worker is God we never brought one dish to this baÌ„ket Omnia parata sunt all things are ready we never spun 2 Cor. 5. 1. Mat. 22. one thread of this garment the garment is Christ alone therefore wee are willed to put on the Lord Iesus wee never deserved Rom. 13. 14. the least drop of the joyes of Heaven we be servi inutiles unprofitable Luk. 17. 10. servants Et quid possunt inutiles servi mereri nisi flagellum And what can unprofitable seruants deserve but the whip Quaeris merita quoth Aug. non invenies nisi poenam Doest thou seeke Merit thou shalt finde nothing but punishment if we stand at Aug. the
servant Nam naturae gratia se apponit daemoni Deus malae consâ—â—tudini bonus usus multitudini malorum spirituum exercitus Angelorum Grace opposeth it selfe to nature God opposeth himselfe against the Divell good custome against evill an hoste of heavenly Angels against a multitude of evill spirits For the Angels of the Lord doe pitch their tents about them Psal 34. that feare him God telleth us that his grace is sufficient for us and that his power is made perfect is knowne and evidently seene through our 2 Cor. 12. 9. weakenesse A question here may bee asked If God bee able to keepe us from falling why then doth hee suffer us to fall Why did hee let Adam fall by the subtilty of the serpent why did he let Lot Gen. 3. Gen. 19. Numb 21. 1 Reg. 11. fall in Zoar by wine and strong drinke Why did hee suffer Moses in the desart by infidelity Why did he let Salomon King Salomon wise King Salomon fall by women Why did hee let Peter fall through feare into lying perjurie banning and cursing Mat. 26. Why doth hee suffer most of his Saints to fall some into one sinne some into another and all into some sinne So that it may bee said of the best of them Septies in die cadit justus the Prov. 24. Iam. 3. 2. righteous man sinneth seven times a day Et in multis peccavimus omnes in many things wee offend all Hereto I answere Adams fall was permitted of God to bring to passe this eternall counsell decreed before the foundation of the world concerning the incarnation of his Sonne and the redemption of mankind through him Nam tu quis es qui litigas cum Deo Who art thou that strivest with God Secondly concerning Rom. 9. the fall of other Saints God permitteth them for two causes either that his mercy might bee made manifest in their God permitted Adam and the Saints to fall for divers reasons pardon and reclaiming or else that they may see the frailty of their nature that they stand not by themselves but by God For the way of man is not in himselfe neither is it in man to direct his pathes that thus God may humble us and that hee that standeth may take heed hee fall not Saint Iude saith not that God ever keepeth us Ier. 10. 23. 1 Cor. 10. 12. from falling but that hee is able to keepe us and will so farre forth doe it as shall stand with his glory and our consolation And this withall I note that God never suffereth his to fall for ever Qui ex Deo est non peccat Hee that is of God sinneth not that is non peccat in aeternum hee sinneth not for ever their 1 Iohn 3. light is eclypsed sometime like the Sunne but never quenched like the fire on the Altar in the Babylonicall captivity they sleepe but they wake againe to righteousnesse they bee not in a lethargie in a dead sleepe like Coranus and Plato who slept and never waked againe â—hey fall sometime but they rise againe like the Dromedary they lye not by it like the Elephant that wanteth jointes they have weeds and faults but they have corne and vertues also like the fields of Sharon whereas the wicked are as Sichem sowne with salt where never fruit grew they have leaves Cant. 4. but they have fruit also like the vine of Megeddo but the wicked Iudg. 9. Mar. 11. are like the figge-tree that Christ cursed they are all leaves all sinne being full of unrighteousnesse fornication wickednesse covetousnesse Rom. 1. 29. full of envy of murder of debate taking all things in evill part they lie downe in sinne they sleepe in sinne they rise up in sinne in the morning they live in it they dye in it it is Alpha Omega Aleph and Tau first and last for the wicked are strangers from the Psal 58. 3. wombe even from the belly thy have erred and spake lies They fall and never rise againe they sinne and repent not of the uncleannesse and fornication and wantonnesse which they have committed 2 Cor. 12. 21. In one word God is able to keepe us and doth keepe us else should wee fall as often as wee are tempted For wee are as dry stubble apt to receive fire but there is a plurality of mercies with God Hee is rich in mercy hee hath mercy for thousands he hath Ephes 2. Exod. 20. Psal 51. Psal 126. â— Ephes 1. 3. 1 Cor. 2. 8. a multitude of mercies he hath lesser mercies and greater mercies Hee filleth our mouthes with laughter and our tongues with joy hee hath corporall blessings and spirituall blessings temporall joyes in earth and everlasting joyes in heaven hee hath a preventing grace in delivering from sinne and a following grace in pardoning sinne he hath an infusing grace and a restraining grace and Iohn 17. 2 Cor. 12. 7. his grace is sufficient for us But here a question may be moved whether the Church may fall from God in doctrine in manners num errare potest tam fide quà m vita whether it may erre as well in faith as in life To this some answer Ecclesia non cadit non errat universaliter totaliter fundamentaliter finaliter that the Church doth not fall doth not erre universally totally fundamentally finally non universaliter The best have erred in omnibus membris not universally in all the members non totaliter in singulis fidei capitibus not totally in every article of faith non fundamentaliter in praecipuis capitibus not fundamentally in the chiefe heads non finaliter in aeternum not finally for euer unto perdition But admit this yet it may fall it may erre The question is not what it doth but what it may doe Ecclesia potest errare the Church may erre whether yee respect it as universall in Councels or the singular members thereof severally quoth Danaeus for it is manifest that I may erre and you may Danaeus erre and hee may erre sic de singulis and so of every one For wee set but in part the which words are meant of every one wee 1 Cor. 13. 9. proceed and goe forward daily wee are not yet come unto perfection wee see the most excellent men have erred as Thomas in Phil. 3. Iohn 20. Act. 10. Num 9. Exod. 32. Act. 1. the resurrection Peter in circumcision Moses in the Passeover Aaron in the golden Calfe in Idolatry All the Apostles in the Kingdome of Christ Lactantius Eusebius Apollinaris Arnobius were tainted errore Chiliastarum with the error of the Chiliasts which held that Christ should come personally and raigne as a King in this world a thousand yeeres yea all men are lyers and all pray Forgive us our trespasses yea looke into the Apocalyps and Mat. 5. Apos 12. 2 Reg. 11. yee shall find that the woman fledde into the wildernesse the whole visible Church under
ever Amen So concluded the other Apostles The God of peace that brought againe from the dead the Lord Iesus the great Shepheard of the sheepe through the Heb. 13. 20 21. bloud of his everlasting covenant make you perfect in all good workes to doe his will working in you that which is pleasing in his sight through Iesus Christ to whom bee praise for ever and ever Amen And thus concluded Saint Peter Grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ to him be glory both now and evermore 2 Pet. 3. 18. Amen Augustine said Tu Domine sic excitas ut laudare te delectet fecisti nos pro te inquietum est cor nostrum donec requiescat in te thou August lib. 1. confess cap. 1. Lord doest so excite mee that to praise thee it delighteth mee thou hast made us for thee and our heart cannot be quiet till it rest in thee Vae tacentibus de te taceat laâ—des tuas qui miserationes tuas non novit Woe bee to them which speake not of thee hee setteth not foorth thy praise who is ignorant of thy mercies Again saith the father Si omnia membra nostra verteventur in linguas si tot haberemus quot Argus oculos nequaquam sufficerent If all our August lib. Meditationum members were converted into tongues if wee had as many tongues as Argus had eyes they were not sufficient to set foorth thy praises thou art a Lord exceeding great and infinite without measure and end and oughtest to be praised and beloved of all Paul could not name Christ but abruptly but breaketh out into thankesgiving having often other matters inhand yet cannot he stay but soundeth out his gratitude as with a trumpet as writing to Timothy handling other matters on a sudden he leaveth the thing in hand and crieth out Now unto the King everlasting immortall invisible unto God onely wise be honour and glory for 1 Tim. 16. 17. ever and ever Amen So writing to the Romans and handling the priviledges of the Iewes on a sudden he leaveth off and breaketh out into thankesgiving saying Of whom concerning the flesh Christ came who is God over all blessed for ever Amen So writing Rom. 9. 5. to the Corinthians and handling the resurrection from the dead on a sudden hee breaketh out to gratitude saying Thankes bee to God which hath given us victorie through Iesus Christ 1 Cor. 15. 57. our Lord. Iude here useth a figure called Pleâ—nasmus to expresse his zeale hee doubleth and redoubleth tripleth and multiplieth his words till they be many in number hee is full as the Moone he Iob 32. floweth as the Sea hee is as the new vessels which have no vent for if the fountaine be full the channels cannot bee empty if The Saints plentifull in thanksgiving there bee moysture in the roote the branches cannot wither if there bee heate in the chimney the house cannot bee cold if the heart abound the mouth will bee full of Gods praises Ex abundantia cordis os loquitur out of the abundance of the heart Luke 6. the mouth speaketh Note this in all the Saints of God how plentifully doth David describe his thankefulnesse My soule praise thou the Lord and forget not all his benefits And againe Praise the Lord ô my Psal 103. 1 2. Psal 146. 1. soule I will praise the Lord during my life as long as I have any being I will sing unto my God With how many words commendeth hee the Law What variety hee useth What cornucopia hee hath Marke his words The Law of the Lord is perfect converting the soule the testimony of the Lord is sure and giveth wisedome Psal 19. 7 8 9. unto the simple The Statutes of the Lord are right and rejoce the heart the Commandement of the Lord is pure and giveth light unto the eyes The feare of the Lord is cleane and indureth for ever the judgements of the Lord are truth and righteous altogether Marke I pray you how hee calleth it the Law the Testimonies the Statutes the Commandements the Feare the Iudgements of the Lord then what Epithites hee giveth it the Law Perfect the Testimonies sure the Statutes Right the feare Cleane the iudgements Truth then what fruits he ascribeth to it that it converteth the soule giveth wisedome rejoyceth the heart endureth for ever Thus let us learne to measure our selves and to know the goodnesse of our hearts by the mouth if wee can speake scantly of God and good things plentifully of the world and the vanities of it our heart is naught it is withered like grasse all the dewes of Gods grace are dryed up in it but wee must rowze up both our hearts and tongues and say with David My heart is prepared O my Psal 57. 7 8 9. God my heart is prepared I will sing and give praise Awake my tongue awake viole and harpe I will awake right early I will praise thee O Lord among the people and I will sing unto thee among the nations But to come to a more particular description of Gods attributes and the attributes wherewith hee is described are Wisedome Salvation Glory Majestie Dominion and Power And yet this description is but in part not a full description for who can describe him perfectly hee is shadowed out unto us by the holy Ghost after this manner The Lord the Lord strong Exod. 34. 6 7. mercifull and gracious slow to anger and abundant in goodnesse and truth reserving mercie for thousands forgiving iniquity and transgression and sinne not making the wicked innocent visiting the iniquity of the Fathers upon their Children unto the third and fourth generation And againe Salomon King Salomon wise King Salomon shadoweth him out after this manner Who hath ascended up to Heaven and Prov. 30. 4. descended Who hath gathered the Winde in his fist Who hath bound All men ignorant till inlightened the Waters in a garment Who hath established all the ends of the World What is his name or what is his Sonnes name if thou canst tell Oh who can tell his name or his Sonnes name Est bonus sine qualitate magnus sine quantitate praesens sine situ sempiternus sine tempore sine initio sine fine Hee is good without quality great without quantitie present without situation everlasting without time without beginning and without end Seditut aequitas dominatur ut majestas novit ut veritas amat ut charitas hee sitteth as equity ruleth as majesty knoweth as verity and loveth as charitie For these be not qualities but of the essence of God Of Rom. 11. him and for him and through him are all things Hee calleth him onely wise wherein hee bestrippeth all men and bereaveth them of wisedome as the Cumane Asse of the Lions skinne as Aesops Crow of her feathers except they have it of God Hereupon saith the Apostle If any man want
of the riches and wisedome and knowledge of God how unsearcheable are his judgements and his wayes past finding â—ut Yea so wise a God is hee that deprehendit astutos in astutia that hee taketh the wilie and subtill in their craft and subtiltie nay there is no Wisedome there is no understanding there is no Counsell against the Lord. Let us Prov. 21. alwayes then submit our selves to this onely wise God who knoweth how to deliver us out of temptation and trouble and to 2 Pet. 2. punish the wicked for with him is wisedome and strength hee hath counsell and understanding Iob 21. 22. I am come unto the second title and that title is that hee calleth him a Saviour yea our Saviour a title of great comfort hee is able to save us hee is willing to save us what now is wanting to our full consolation There is power there is will in him to save us upon these two pillars resteth our faith So Saint Peter comforted the dispersed Church for having shewed how that through the aboundant mercy of our God wee are elect and regenerate to a lively hope and how faith must bee tried hee commeth at last to this salvation here spoken of and telleth them that they shall one day receive the end of their faith even the salvation of their soules The which salvation in Christ is no new thing but a thing prophesied of old salvation is the thing that wee all long for for there is none so wicked but he would bee saved and no salvation but in Christ There is no other name given unto men by which they shall bee saved save onely by the name of Act. 4. 12. Iesus hee is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Saviour so called at his birth This day is Luke 2. 11. borne a Saviour which is Christ the Lord so named before his birth Thou shalt call his name Iesus for bee shall save his people from their Mat. 1. 21. sinnes And thus called after his birth and Ioseph called his name Iesus a title knowne in Heaven honoured in Earth and feared in Hell He is a Saviour a powerfull Saviour when he Mat. 1. 25. was weakest then did he the greatest works that ever were done hee was powerfull in his life in doing miracles in giving sight Christ is properly called the Saviour to the blind eares to the deafe tongues to the dumbe legges to the ame life to the dead O but more powerfull at his death in saving the world For then the Sunne was darkened the earth trembled the stones clave in pieces the graves opened the dead raised his death reached to Heaven to earth to Hell the Angels rejoyced the Divels trembled and all men were comforted Let Satan boast like Rabsache that God cannot deliver Ierusalem out of his hands that God cannot deliver the elect from his power he is a lier the God of peace shall tread him under our feete shortly our Michael hath cast downe the Dragon we may sing the â—o Paean the joyfull triumph with the Saints Now is salvation in Heaven and strength and the Kingdome of God and the power of his Christ for the accuser of our brethren is throwne downe which accused them day and night before God and they overcame him with the blood of the Lambe For indeed Christs death was our life his sacrifice our satisfaction Lact. his labour hath eased our burthens his wounds our curing his stripes our healing his curse our blessing his damnation our absolution Finely saith one Thou art sicke hee is the Physician of thy soule yea dead in sinne hee is thy Saviour and reviver thou art starved through sinne hee is the bread of life thou art thirsty hee is the water nay dead with thirst hee is the ever-springing well the River of Paradise one drop whereof is more than all the Ocean The Graecians for an earthly deliverance by Flaminius cried so loud 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that the earth gave an Eccho and a rebound that their cry made the Fowles of the ayre to fall downe dead their voice and shoute was as the sound of a thunder how much more cause have wee to reioice in the Lord Iesus who saveth both body and soule and delivereth from dangers of this life and the life to come The Angels sung at his birth Glory be to God on bigh Luk. 2. in earth peace good will towards men No tongues of men or Angels are able to expresse this benefit it is a greater my stery than so for so the Apostle confesseth saying Without controversy great is the mystery of godlines which is God is manifested in the flesh justified 1 Tim. 3. 16. in the spirit seene of Angels preached unto the Gentils beleeved on in the world and received up in glory Moses saved Israel from Pharao Christ saveth us from the Divell hee from Aegypt Christ from hell hee brought them into the land of Chanaan Christ will bring us Exod. 12. Col. 1. into heaven hee sprinkled the dore posts with the blood of the Lambe Christ our hearts with his owne blood The Papists are injurious to Christ and breake in upon his titles and offices making him either no Saviour or else but a little Saviour in ascribing salvation to Agnus Dei to the blood of Martyrs to Crosses Masses Papists doe as much incroch upon Christ as the Turkes doe they will not acknowledge election justification to come from grace as a right Popish doctrine tends to the disgracing of Grace Father but from workes a stepmother all their doctrine savours of pride blaspheming grace and the worke of grace Note their doctrines de igniculis virtutum insitis à natura of sparkes of vertue grafted in us by nature de gratia operante cooÌ„perante of operating and cooÌ„perating grace de puris naturalibus of pure naturals they will not suffer any body to call God Father and yet is hee the Father of Mercies and God of all 2 Cor. 1. 3. comfort The Church of Rome saith That all the actions of men unregenerate bee not sinne that originall sinne needeth no repentance that a man by meere naturals may love God feare God and beleeve in Christ that a regenerate man may fulfill the whole Law as said the Trident Councell that wee may doe works of supererogation Et quid nunc relinquitar Christe Iesu And what is now left for Christ Iesus The Iesuites aske Why is it not as honorable for God as great glory to powre in an inherent righteousnesse into us as to give us a reputed or imputed righteousnesse But so they may aske Why God kept not Adam from falling Had it not bene as honorable to have kept him from falling No no for then wee had not knowne the sweetnesse of the Messiah So it may seeme as honorable Gen. 3. 15. for God to have kept us from sicknesse but then we had not knowne the goodnesse of the Physician
and concludeth his Epistle with it Grace bee with you Amen for wee must not doubt of Gods promises but beleeve stedfastly That all the promises of God are in Amen diversly used in Scripture Christ yea and are in him AMEN Againe this word Amen teacheth us to desire earnestly 2 Tim. 4. 22. and fervently the thing wee pray for For the prayer of the righteous availeth much if it bee fervent David was fervent in his Iam. 9. 16. Psal 106. 48. prayer Blessed bee the Lord God of Israel for ever and ever and let all the people say Amen And verily this word Amen noteth our desire our earnest fervent desire to bee heard and to obtaine it is in effect thus much O Lord thus bee it unto mee what my tongue or soule have begged give it me grant it me Amen Amen So Lord even so Lord. FINIS THE TABLE OF THE Sermons upon Saint IVDE Points handled Serm. 1. THe holy Ghost the Author of all Scripture Fol. 1. Two Iudases 1 Iscariot 2 Brother of Iames 1 Some Scriptures doubted of 2 A threefold office of the Church concerning Scripture 3 Honourable titles given the wicked why 4 Stormes should not discourage the godly ibid. Three sorts of servants ibid. Gods service most happy 5 Gods service perfect freedome ibid. Brings all good to us 6 All other service vile or dangerous 7 Mans dignity in three things 8 Priviledges of Gods servants ibid. Pope abuseth the title of servant 9 Servants must imitate their Master obey him 10 Gods servants rewarded ibid. Servants may not Lord it over the rest of the Family 11 Godly profession brings more glory than honourable alliance 12 13. Sermon 2. VOcation the first step to Salvation 15 Before calling wee are children of wrath not capable of Christ 16 The happinesse of having the Gospell 17 Vocation Externall Internall Invitation Admission 17 18 Externall calling unprofitable without internall 18 The efficacie of Gods Word in the ministery thereof 19 Vocation diverse in respect of time and place 20 None called for desert ibid. Sanctification followes vocation 21 God as he beginne will finish till he glorifie ibid. Sanctification three-fold Imputed unto us Wrought in us Wrought by us 22 Difference of righteousnesse of Iustification and Sanctification 23 Papisticall doctrine tends to licentiousnes ours to holinesse ibid. Faith and Workes joyned in the person justified in the act of justification 24 Sermon 3. CHrists Priesthood two parts Redemption Intercession 26 Redemption hath two parts Reconciliation and Sanctification ibid. Reconciliation consists in two points Remission of sinnes and imputation of Christs righteousnesse 27 Iustification what it is ibid. Adoption what it is ibid. Benefits of Adoption and Iustification 27 Sanctification consists in mortification and vivification 28 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath his beginning godly sorrow his companion the Spirituall combat ibid. Sanctification but in part as our knowledge ibid. Divers acceptions of holinesse 29 Wee must bee holy because God is holy 30 Wee must bee holy because it is the end of our Redemption 31 Without holinesse no salvation ibid. Wee must bee holy because called Saints ibid. All our holinesse is from God 32 The persons of the Trinity distinguished 33 Preservation in the state of Grace the chiefest blessing 34 Gods providence preserves in all accidents of life 35 God frees from all afflictions 36 God preserves his Scriptures and Saints 37 Gods preservation of soule and spirituall estate most gracious 38 39 Sermon 4. MErcie Peace and Love three most excellent gifts 40 How these three flow from the Trinity ibid. How mercy in God 41 A rule for Christian salutations ibid. Mercy fourefold ibid. Generall mercies bestowed on all ibid. Speciall mercies on the elect ibid. The long suffering of God 42 The greatest mercy concernes salvation ibid. Our election is of Mercy ibid. Gods abundant mercy in Christ 43 Mercy seven-fold ibid. All that wee have is of mercy ibid. Misericordia communis peccantium portus ibid. Peace three-fold 44 Peace the ornament of the Church and signe of Christs Kingdome ibid. God the Author of Peace 45 A commendation of peace ibid. Contention cause of destruction 46 Vnion makes powerfull ibid. True peace to bee sought and imbraced 47 Righteousnesse cause of peace ibid. Peace of Conscience passeth all understanding 48 Prosperity profiteth not without peace of Conscience ibid. The wicked have no peace 49 Christ dyed rose ascended to perfect our peace ibid. Peace is used for outward prosperitie 50 All priviledges spirituall and temporall belong to the godly ibid. Yet sometime God withholds outward blessings 51 Sermon 5. God loves the fountaine of mercy peace and all good things 52 Gods love is most abundant immeasurable immutable unspeakeable 53 How God is said to be love ibid. Love of man to man the most excellent vertue 54 No Love to man without the love of God 55 True love rare among men 56 That love which is truely Christian must be embraced all other abandoned 57 Not sufficient to have grace but there must be a desire of increase till we come to glory 58 Sermon 6. FAith the most necessarie and excellent vertue 61 Sonnes three-fold by Nature by Doctrine by Adoption or Inspiration 62 Faith set out by it's attributes that wee might labour for it 63 Many carelesse to get Faith or maintaine it ibid. Faith must bee maintained to the death 64 A foure-fold fight and flight of Ministers ibid. The zeale of Idolaters and Heretickes for false religion should make us to be zealous for Gods truth 65 Divers degrees of zeale ibid. God lookes to the truth of our zeale not the heate 66 God accepts according to that a man hath if in truth ibid. Love ought to bee shewed in all our instructions and reprehensions 67 What love required in Ministers to their people ibid. Wee must be zealous in the matter of Religion and industrious for our soules 68 Salvation ought to be our onely ayme to have it assured to our selves and propagated to others 69 Many more regard humane writings yea vaine pamphlets than Scriptures 70 All men ought to labour to get assurance of salvation 71 Salvation common in three respects ibid. As salvation is common so the Church Catholicke 72 Writing the most safe meanes to performe God truth ibid. Traditions bring errors to the Church 73 Exhortation powerfull urged in meekenesse 74 The Minister must exhort and the people suffer the Word of exhortation 75 Sermon 7. GOds truth must bee maintained 76 Faith the gift of God a fruit of the Spirit ibid. Divers acceptions of Faith 77 Divers excellent attributes of saving Faith ibid. Faith a worke of the Trinity 78 The meanes to beget Faith outwardly the Ministery of the Word inwardly the operation of the Spirit 79 True Faith in few in all ages ibid. True Religion most ancient and Scriptures before all other writings 80 As God is immutable so his truth and Religion ibid. Though types and shadowes vanish truth and
substance remaine ever 81 The Scriptures immutable tradition uncertaine 82 Divers acceptions of Saints ibid. The Saints onely the subjects of true Faith 83 The wicked usurpers of Gods gifts ibid. Whatsoever they have is for the Saints sake 84 Sermon 8. THe Church and Religion hath many adversaries 85 Every thing hath its contrary ibid. Religion cause of division 86 Religion must bee maintained to death ibid. Secret enemies most dangerous especially such as in a shew of Religion seeke to undermine Religion ibid. The Divell opposeth the Church sometime as a Lion by cruelty sometime as a Serpent by subtilty but he hurts most by subtilty 87 Poperie prevailes most by policy and fraud 88 All Atheists without God before regeneration and conversion 89 There is a two-fold life the one of Nature the other of Grace 90 Most men live as Naturalists ibid. Atheists worse than Divels ibid. Nature teacheth that there is a divine Power 91 Gods power ruleth in all things and doth often change the course of Nature ibid. Reasons to prove the divine Power 92 Religion is more in profession than practice 94 Many by their lives seeme Atheists ibid. Vngodlinesse hath two branches iniquity in life and manners and impurity in Religion ibid. Many turne the grace of God into wantonnesse ibid. Gods grace and bounty ought to leade to Repentance not to make men presumptuous 95 Afflictions make us seeke God 96 Prosperitie makes us forget him and grow rebellious 97 Wee may not despise or renounce the creatures or blessings of God as the Stoicks Anachorites Hermites c. have done ibid. Epicures their practice described and their end 98 vnde 99 Popish Doctrine tends to licenciousnesse ibid. Sermon 9. GOd is denied many wayes 101 They that professe God and live ungodly denie him ibid. Six degrees in sinne ibid. Gods creatures declare him foure wayes 103 God is present foure wayes ibid. The wicked that deny God here shall hereafter feele and acknowledge him ibid. God is one in substance three in person ibid. The Heathen worshipped many gods and the Papists invocate many as Gods yet there is but one onely true God ibid. The unity and trinity in the God-head illustrated by divers resemblances 104 Christ is denied many wayes 105 Faith is most eminent and confident in persecution ibid. Christ is denied when either the sufficiency or efficacy of his death is denyed 106 Knowledge and profession of Christ without practice nothing worth ibid. The Papists deny the offices of Christ consequently 107 Christ onely paid the full ransome for our Redemption 108 Christ our Lord jure Creationis Redemptionis ibid. Divers effusions of Christs bloud especially five 109 Christs passions for us require that wee should consecrate our whole selves and all the service of our soules and bodies him 110 Sermon 10. DEstruction the end of the ungodly 112 Looke not on the present estate but the end of the wicked 113 God is said to write in a booke for the certenty of his decree 114 Gods decree hath two parts Election Reprobation ibid. The causes of either not to bee inquired after 115 Gods judgements often secret alwayes just ibid. Wee must not pry into Gods secrets ibid. Gods will the cause of our election not faith or works 116 Five signes of election 117 Our election perfected by many degrees 118 Reprobation a second part of Gods decree 119 And as he electeth some so hee reprobates others ibid. As all things els have their contraries so the elect theirs namely the reprobate 120 God ordereth sinne but urgeth not to it ibid. Mans sinne and destruction come from himselfe 121 Three opinions concerning Gods dealing in sinne 122 How God is said to cause evill ibid. How God dealeth in reprobation 122 More then Gods bare permission in sinne ibid. How God is said to harden and to blind 124 God worketh by evill men not in them ibid. God Satan and Men concurre in the same action yet have different ends 125 Sermon 11. THough we know much yet we had neede be put in remembrance 527 Continuall instruction like the continuall dropping of raine ibid. Itching eares listen after novelties rather then wholesome doctrine 129 Preaching alwayes necessary otherwise the soule decayes in grace 130 If instruction faile Satan prevailes ibid. Meditation recordation chiefe meanes to enrich the soule 131 God first offereth mercy before hee inflict judgement 132 Gods abundant mercies and miraculous deliverances of the Israelites 133 Gods wrath upon the Aegyptians ibid. Gods abundant mercies to England 135 God allures by mercyes before hee punisheth 136 Contemners of Gods mercies severely punished ibid. Sinne pleasant in the committing in the end damnable 137 God suffereth the wicked till their sinne be at the full 139 God punishes some sooner some later ibid. Looke not on their present estate but their end 140 Sermon 12. INfidelity the cause of Israels destruction 140 And of their sinne the roote 141 Faith the gift of God 143 And the originall of all vertues ibid. True faith is in few 144 Most men led by the flesh rather than by the Spirit ibid. Faith hath a triple foundation ibid. Faith threefold justifying of miracles hystoricall 145 The causes of Salvation ibid. The just live by Faith if no Faith no accesse to God no interest in him 146 Degrees of Faith ibid. God giveth grace according to the measure of Faith 147 Faith all in all in applying and assuring Salvation ibid. The Angels that fell committed many sinnes in one ibid. Wee must bee wise according to sobriety 148 Angels though Spirits in essence yet appeared in divers formes ibid. The sinne of Angels in generall was Apostacy 149 Some Apostacy is unpardonable ibid. Why the Angels that fell were not restored 150 Three reasons of Dorbell why the wicked shall bee punished in Hell more than the Divels recited rejected ibid. All apostacy dangerous though some not damnable ibid. It is the end that crownes all our actions 151 The Christian must be alwayes increasing ibid. The wicked grow worse and worse 152 There is a decay in most ibid. The estate of Angels considered in regard of three severall times namely of Creation Confirmation last Iudgement 153 Divers names of Angels 154 Whence the Angels fell ibid. God the head but not the Redeemer of the good Angels 155 The time of the fall of Angels uncertaine as also the places whither ibid. The Divels though many in number yet there is one chiefe 156 How the Divell is said to worke and to be in the wicked ibid. The Divels though malicious Spirits yet agree in mischiefe 157 Division the cause of confusion 158 Sermon 13. THe case of the Angels most fearefull to be cast out of Heaven 159 Their abode is not certaine but some in the Ayre some in the Earth some in the Sea 160 The Divels malice infinite but his power by God limited ibid. Satan is said to be loosed Apoc. 20. 7. not simply but comparatively 161 The Divels and wicked
shall have their torments encreased after the day of Iudgement 162 The paines of Hell are eternall irremissible ibid. The wicked shall bee tormented in those parts they abused 163 God punishes the finite act of sinne with infinite torments and why ibid. How the bodies of the damned can endure eternally in fire illustrated 164 The last judgement called a great day in three respects 165 Iudgement terrible to all but specially to the wicked 166 The fire at the day of Iudgement shall not consume utterly but purifie ibid. The fearefull estate of all sorts of sinners at the day of Iudgement 167 Sermon 14. FOrnication and all uncleannesse most odious 169 Reasons to disswade from adultery ibid. Gods wrath not onely against adulterers but their seed 170 The end of Whoredome destruction ibid. God provides as well for the preservation of wife as of life goods or good name ibid. No sinne that Satan prevailes more in than adultery 171 Gods vengeance shewed upon adulterers ibid. Many Saints have beene overtaken by adultery 172 Many persons cities countries kingdoms destroyed for adultery ibid. Though many thinke adulterie indifferent or a petty sinne yet to God it is most odious 173 Adultery cause of confusion in affinity and consanguinity 174 The adultery of the Saints not to bee imitated ibid. Polygamy originally not lawfull though tolerated in the Fathers 175 Polygamy not lawfull to us ibid. Vncleannesse hath many branches 176 The causes of Sodoms uncleanenesse 177 Idlenesse and Pride causes of adultery ibid. Perfuming and painting in women odious ibid. Gluttony cause of adultery 178 Bad company cause of sinne ibid. Too much love of Earthly things cause of adultery ibid. Great cities usually sinnefull 179 God destroyeth the places for the persons inhabiting them 180 Sermon 15. GOds punishments upon some sinners should make others leave sinne 181 Fire the instrument of Gods wrath 183 The horror of Hell fire set out to terrifie sinners ibid. Poets and Philosophers apprehended some things concerning Hell and Heaven 184 Hell fire the most horrible of all feares ibid. Wee cannot have a Heaven here and hereafter 185 Five differences betweene elementary fire â—d that of Hell ibid. Seven severall paines in Hell 186 Hell fire terrible to all but specially to the wicked ibid. Eternity of Hell torments aggravate the misery of the damned 187 How the torments of Hell are eternall and why ibid. The torments of Hell are eternall and irremissible 188 Gods punishments often squared according to sinne 189 Sodoms destruction related by heathen Historiographers ibid. Those cities that partake with Sodom in sinne are destroyed with her 190 Though sinne bring downe punishment yet God hath a hand in it ibid. God in judgement remembers mercie 191 Sermon 16. VVHen reprehension amends not execration followes 193 One sinne goeth seldome alone 194 Sleepe three-fold ibid. Sinne and security like sleepe 195 Ministers trumpets to rowze the sleepers in sinne ibid. Waking and watchfulnesse necessary for a Christian ibid. The sleepe in sinne dangerous 196 The enemy cannot hurt if we bee watchful 197 Vncleanenesse beseemes not a Christian whose members are Christs and his body the temple of the holy Ghost 198 God punisheth uncleanenesse many wayes 199 Whoredome and adultery odious 200 The heynousnesse of adultery aggravated by many arguments ibid. Why lusts called of Paul our members 201 Adultery a sinne too-too common in Italy and slighted by the papists 202 Many arguments to deterre from adultery 203 A wicked woman a dangerous motive to draw to adultery ibid. Sermon 17. SAtan the author of rebellion being the first Rebell 205 Christ and his Apostles taught and preached obedience to Magistrates though persecutors 206 The Christians in the primative Church though cruelly tortured yet rebelled not ibid. Rebellion against nature seeing subordination in all creatures 207 God the author of governement c. they that resist rebell against God 208 God hath shewed his vengeance upon rebels ibid. The Magistrates gods in three respects ibid. Like God in executing justice and shewing mercy 209 Anabaptists and Papists enemies to Magistracy the one deny the other abuse it ibid. Many benefits both to Church and Commonwealth from magistracy 210 The Anabaptists deny that Christians should be subject to magistrates or make warre ibid. The Papists debase magistracy 211 Popish Bishops causers of distractions and rebellions 212 The usurpation of Popes over Emperours and Kings with their treacheries ibid. Where no government nothing but confusion 213 Sermon 18 VVEE must learne meekenesse from Michael the Archangell that would not raile on the Divell 214 Though many parts of Scripture are lost yet so much as is necessary for faith and manners is and hath beene preserved 215 The names of some Angels the office and distinction of all ibid. How Angels speake and contend 216 Foure contentions of Angels ibid. Satan seekes by all meanes to draw to Idolatry 217 The Divell never ceaseth tempting all estates in all places ibid. Though Satan tempt yet he prevailes not with Gods children ibid. Satan a railer and cursed speaker as implyed in his names 218 Reasons why wee should abstaine from railing and cursed speaking ibid. Motives to moderate and rule the tongue 219 Railers imitate the Divell 220 Mildnesse represseth wrath and railing 221 God will confound railers ibid. It is lawfull sometime to curse and to use harsh speeches so it be in Gods cause and a minde free from wrath and malice and that it bee to reclaime sinne 222 How to carrie our selves toward railers ibid. Corrupt speeches a signe of a corrupt heart 223 Sermon 19. RAiling a signe of a malicious and wicked man 224 Malice in the heart causeth railing of the tongue ibid. The Brownists of rayling and censuring dispositions 226 Separation may not be made from the true Church for corruption in manners ibid. No man absolutely perfect no state totally corrupt 227 A railers tongue a sword himselfe a murtherer 228 Ignorance the cause of rayling and other sinnes ibid. Divers â—inds of ignorance 229 Foure meanes to get true knowledge 230 Knowledge the chiefe ornament to a man and hath beene in all ages reverenced and desired 231 They that raile or sinne against a knowne truth are desperate ibid. Satans sinne was upon â—nowledge 232 Want of knowledge cause of error and destruction 233 Naturall men make not that profitable uso of their knowledge that beasts doe 234 Wicked men called by names of beasts as they resemble them in quality 235 Sermon 20. MInisters may denounce execution to execrable sinners 237 The godly Ministers Magistrates and others must be zealous and severe in Gods cause but milde in their owne 238 Envy alway ascendeth and maligneth vertue and honour 239 Envy set out by many resemblances and fearefull effects 240 Envy described by her properties 241 Envies etymologie implies the vice to proceed from the eye ibid. Envy the cause of much evill and makes the soule uncapable of Wisedom and Grace 242 Envie doth most torment him in whom it is
tendeth the exhortation of Saint Iames See that yee bee doors of the Word not hearers only deceiuing your owne selves So did the Thessalonians Iam. 1. 22. they received the Word not as the word of man but as it is 1 Thess 2. 1. indeed the Word of God 4. It must expell dishonest things as namely all maliciousnes and all guile all dissimulation and envy and all evill speaking So did 1 Pet. 2. 1. the Antiochians for the hand of the Lord was with them so that a great Act. 11. 21. number beleeved and turned unto the Lord. All these benefits come by the teacher under God For as the nurse hath two brests to give milke to the Infant so the Minister hath two also doctrine and life the one for example the other for instruction touching both wee will say as Paul said Yee are witnesses and God also how 1 Thess 2. 10. holily and justly and unblameably wee behaved our selves among them that beleeve Wee appeale not to the Infidels but to the beleevers For if an inquest of Infidels bee impannelled on us certenly wee goe downe Elias shall be said to trouble Israel the Apostles shall bee seditious Iohn Baptist shall have the Divell 1 Reg. 18. Christ is an enemy to Caesar wee appeale therefore from Infidels to beleevers and wee hope they will acquite us for wee may labi in domo fall in the house but not à domo from the house they shall find us sine crimine without offensive fault though not sine peccato without fault Ministery the meanes of salvation Well said the women of Rome to Constantius the Emperour when hee would have deposed Foelix the Bishop or have joyned with him Liberius the hereticke Vâ—us Deus unus Christus una fides unus Episcopus One God one Christ one faith one Bishop quoth he Pretty is the fable of Demostenes how the woolves made league of peace with the sheepe so that the dogges might bee removed but when the dogges were removed the sheep were woorried so the Divell maketh league with worldlings so that they will put away their Ministers but when they are removed bee sure the Diuell will woorry and devoure the soules of the people as the woolves did the sheepe For the great redde Dragon that hath seven heads and ten hornes and seven crownes upon his heads and who with his taile drawes down the third part of the starres of Heaven and casts them to the earth stands before the woman travelling with Child to devoure the Child as soone as it is brought forth For when the shepheard is smitten the flocke will be scattered and your adversary Mat. 26. 1 Pet. 5. 8. the Divell as a roaring Lion goeth about seeking to devoure Well of all the indignities offered to us we will say as Mauritus said to Phocas murdering his children Videat Dominus judicet So let God judge betwixt you and us wee labour to save you and you are like the dogge in the water who biteth him by the hands who would save him from drowning When Fulvius cóquered over the French Scipio over Numantia the people cried 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A Saviour A Saviour the earth rebounded and the birds of the ayre fell down dead with the resound of the earth yet these saved but mens bodies Ministers save mens soules As wee cannot have trees without planting 1 Tim. 4. 13. nor corne without sowing nor houses without building so wee cannot come to heaven without teaching the clowds powre downe rayne and make the earth fruitfull Ministers are the Ephes 4. 20. Deuter. 32. clowds and their doctrines as the dew to make our hearts fruitfull Can a bird live without aire or a fish without water or a body without a soule No more can the soule without the Word It is Verbum vitae the Word of life Triplex est vita there is a threefold life Vitanaturae brutis peculiaris a life of nature peculiar Iobn 6. Eccles 2. Col 3. 3. Ephes 4. 18. to beasts Vita gloriae Angelis A life of glory proper to the Angels Vita gratia elect is and life of grace to the elect and this life is had by the Word of God Pregnant are the similitudes that the Holy Ghost useth in the Scriptures where hee compareth Ministers to Fathers to mothers nurses watchmen 1 Cor. 4. 15. Gal. 4. Ezeeb 3. 1 Reg. 13. Hebr. 13. 7. Apoc. 12. 2. and souldiers overseers starres Children cannot bee without fathers nor brought up without mothers nor tended without nurses Cities in warre cannot bee kept without watchmen nor kingdomes without souldiers nor men walk in the dark without sta-light Solem mundo tollunt qui Verbum Dei tollunt They take the Sunne out of world that take away the Word they are the Without the light of the Ministery all in darkenesse light of the world the salt of the earth all would wander and ranckle in their affections if they were not they should bee as the men of Cimmeria who never saw the Sunne men should sit in the Church as the Aegyptians did in their houses not able to Exod. 10. Wisd 5. 6. arise in three dayes Men might say We have erred from the light of trueth the light of righteousnesse hath not shined unto us and the Sunne of Vnderstanding rose not up uponus Philip rejoiced that Alexander was borne in the dayes of Arislotle Socrates rejoiced that he was borne an Atheuian and rejoice thou that thou art a Christian that thou livest in the dayes of a learned Ministery The Queene of Sheba pronounced Salomons servants happy for hearing him 1 Reg. 10. how happy then shall wee thinke our selves that heare God speake to us by a Minister O blessed men that may heare God speake to us every Sunday and every Thursday for the increase of faith and repentance in every one of us Blessed bee that day and happy bee that houre wherein God speaketh unto thee by a man How happy was Galatia then How did all the Churches count that a blessed Church Philip thought Alexander happy that hee was borne in the dayes of Aristotle and wee thinke our selves unhappy that wee are borne in the time of Light and doctrine We wish a change we wish Mariana tempora we say that it was a good world then men loved one another yet then they knew no love no faith no hope no God no Christ they beleeved as the Church beleeved and the Church beleeved as they beleeve and neither could tell what they beleeved O blind times ô vile dayes If a Prince should send an Ambassadour to Rebels to proclaime pardon and they should take and abuse him would it not kindle the ire of the Prince So standeth the case betwixt God and his people Ministers being Gods Legats Gods Harolds men having runne all the dayes of their life the broad way when death commeth then they call for a Guide but then
it is too late if Gods mercy bee not the more THE SEVEN AND THIRTIETH SERMON VERS XXIII And hate even the garment spotted in the flesh Weâ—â—â—ust abstaine from all appearance of evill THis is the last exhortation that Saint Iude useth to hate even the garment spotted in the flesh that is to hate not onely the wicked workes of the flesh but also all things which are nigh unto it all provocations and inticements thereunto and so Paul would have men not onely to abstaine from evill but also from all shew of evill Abstaine saith hee from all appearance of â— Thâ—ss 5. â—â— evill Oh the great zeale of Iude here which ought to be a mirrour to us all And surely if wee love God wee cannot but love vertue which hee loveth and hate sinne even the garment spotted in the flesh which hee hateth Yee that love the Lord hate evill saith the Prophet he preserveth the soules of his Saints and will deliver Psal 97. 10. them from the hand of the wicked Note the condition If men will have their soules preserved if they will bee freed and delivered from the wicked they must hate evill otherwise no preservation of soules no deliverance of them out of the hands of the wicked they that sport and laugh at sinne are fooles and damned fooles reprobate fooles fooles in folio fooles in print The foole maketh a mocke of sinne saith Salomon and doth not know the greevousnesse thereof nor Gods judgements against the Prov. 14. 9. same Doe wee laugh at Christs death at that which made We must have no communion with the wicked him sweate water and bloud at that for which an Angell came from Heaven to comfort him At that which cost him his heart blood Sumus in felle nequitiae We are in the gall of bitternesse What hearts have wee of flesh or of flint of folly Act. 8. 23. or of madnesse that we can laugh at sinne Wee feed of ashes as Esa 44. 20. Psal 11. Apoc. 2. 2. the proverbe speaketh Vpon these men God will raine snares fire and brimstone storme and tempest this shall bee their portion to drinke Oh how it pleased God that the Ephesians hated the Nicolaitans If that had not been it is like that Gods plague had fallen upon them seeing they were falne from their first love but this made amends for all David would not suffer a vile man in his house There shall no deceitfull person dwell in my house hee that telleth Mat. 10. 1 7 8. lyes shall not remaine in my sight betimes will I destroy all the wicked of the Land that I may cut off all workers of iniquity from the Citie of God David would not sit in the chaire of vile men he hated the enemies of God Doe not I hate them oh Lord that hate thee Doe not I earnestly contend with those that rise up against thee I hate them with an Psal 1. 1. Psal 139. 20. unfained hatred as they were mine utter enemies Let all that speake wickedly against God and take his Name in vaine observe here that they are no better than haters of God and such as rise up against him And further the Prophet to worke in us an hatred of the wicked hee saith I have not sit with vaine persons neither will Psal 26. 4 5. I goe with dessemblers I have hated the companie of evill doers and will not sit with the wicked Now if all that is written is written for Rom. 15. 4. our learning this teacheth us to have no communion with the wicked Hereupon when the Apostle had inveighed bitterly against fornication and all uncleanenesse filthinesse foolish talking and jesting hee giveth immediately the Ephesians this charge not to bee so deceived with vaine words as to be companions with Ephes 5. 6 7. any defiled with the said evils That which Salomon saith against making friendship with an angry man and against going with Pro. 22. 24. a furious man is likewise to be practised touching all other wicked and ungodly men Iacob would not have his bones buried among Gen. 44. 29. the Idolaters hee would then have shaken to have linked and joyned and eaten and drunken with them Paul would not have the Corinths eate with bad men lest they should seeme to countenance them If any saith hee that is called a brother bee a Fornicator or covetous or an Idolater or a Railer or a Drunkard or an 1 Cor. 5. 11. Extortioner with such a one eate not If that Christianity were amongst â—â— that ought to be an open prophane evill man should be unto us as a Viper or a serpent the smell of him should be so greevous as the ayre or smell of the plague For sinne is the same to the soule that the plague is to the body rottennesse to the apple saving that the plague hurteth but for a time sinne for ever For the worme dyeth not and the fire never goeth Mar. 9. 44. out that destroyeth the body this destroyeth body and soule For tribulation and anguish shall bee upon every soule that doth Sinne is as contagious to the soule as the plague to the body evill Wicked men must be avoyded in respect Of God Of our selves In respect of God because they are Gods enemies for so the Rom. 2. 9. Psalmist calleth them saying The wicked shall perish and the enemies Psal 37. 20. of the Lord shall consume as the fat of Lambes even as the smoke shall they consume away And againe God will arise and his enemies shall bee scattered meaning the wicked If they be Gods enemies it is Psal 68. 1. fit that all good men should shunne and avoyd them A subject will not have familiarity with a Traytour and Rebell against his Soveraigne the wicked are Traitours and Rebels against God wee ought therefore to have no familiarity with them Againe wicked men must be avoyded in respect of our selves for they draw us into great danger and the danger they draw us unto is twofold The one concerning our outward The other concerning our inward Estate Concerning our outward estate how dangerous a thing it is to converse with the wicked Let these two examples shew and let them bee instar mille in stead of a thousand Iehoshaphat was in so great danger by joyning in warres with Achab against the Aramites that all the Aramites bent themselves against him as supposing him to bee Achab and that if hee had not in his extremity cryed out unto the Lord hee had beene slaine in the battell A second example wee have in Ahaziah King of Iuda himselfe being wicked who went but to visit Ioram King of Israel more wicked than himselfe lying sicke of the wounds which the Syrians had given him and it cost him his life For the sword of Iehu smote him and wounded him to death Concerning our inward danger the Apostle saith thus Evill 1 Cor. 15. 33. words or