are reall Sermons of reformation and repentance They have a voyce saith the Prophet But every one understandeth not this voyce n Quomodo Bern. in Cant. 79. Graecè loquentem non intelligit qui Graecam non novit nec Latinè loquentem qui Latinus non est Sic lingua amoris ei qui non amat barbara est sicut aes sonans aut cymbalum tinniens They spake in a strange language to many to the most as o Act. 9.7 cum 22.9 Ita conciliat post Calvinum Piscator melius puto quà m Chrysost Theophyl Oecum Lyra Hugo Beza alii qui ad Pauli vocem coactius referunt Pauls companions when Christ spake to him they heare a noyse and no more p Psal 92.6 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heraclit apud Clement in protrept Theodor. de curand Graec. l. 1. The foolish saith the Psalmist conceive it not and the brutish understand it not But q Mica 6.9 a man of wisedome the wise man saith the Prophet knoweth what it meaneth And as the Psalmist speaketh of Gods workes of mercie r Psal 107.43 Who so is wise to observe these things such shall understand the loving kindnesse of the Lord So of his workes of judgement saith Ieremie Å¿ Ier. 9.12 Who so is wise to understand these things to him the mouth of God speaketh and hee is able to declare what this Voice of God saith And of both of them the Prophet Hoshe t Hosh 4.10 Who so is wise will understand these things and who so is of understanding will know that the Lords wayes are u Esa 26.7 10. Ezech. 18.25 strait and even and the just shall walke in them but the wicked shall fall in them To use Chrysostomes comparison yea and Augustines too x 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Chrysost in 1 Cor. hom 7. Lay you a booke open before a childe or one that cannot reade he may gaze and stare on it but he can make no use of it because he understandeth nothing at all in it But bring it to one that can reade and that understandeth the language it is written in and he can reade you many stories or instructions out of it It is as dumbe and silent to the one it speaketh to and talketh with the other In like manner is it with y Dei opera admiranda qui non aspicit tantum sed intelligit quasi legit Aliter enim videtur pictura aliter videntur literae Picturam cùm videris hoc est totum vidisse laudasse Literas cùm videris commonerà eas legere quod si fortè non nosti Quid putamus inquis esse quod hîc scriptum est Interrogas quid sit cùm jam videas aliquid Sed aliud tibi demonstraturus est à quo quaeris agnoscere quod vidisti Alios ille oculos habet alios tu Apices similiter videtis non similiter signa cognovistis Tu vides laudas ille videt laudat legit intelligit Aug. in Ioan. 24. Gods judgements as Augustine also well applieth it all sorts of men see them but few are able aright to reade them â—r to understand them what they say But what is it that the wise man is by them admonisheâ— Surely a Mica 6.9 to listen to the Rod saith Micah and b Quis accersat Iun. who or what it is that hath procured it to enquire saith Ieremie what is the cause c Ier. 9.12 why the land is spoiled and lieth burnt up like a wilde wildernesse that no man passeth thorow that is to search out the cause of the present crosse To which purpose also Gods people in the time of their captivitie d Lam. 3.40 Let us search say they and sift out our workes and our wayes They had before entered into some discourse and dispute with themselves what might be the cause of that their calamitie And first they lay downe this for an undoubted and undeniable position That e Amos 3.6 Quicquid malorum poenarumve perpetimur censura est divinae manus Salvian de provid l. 8. Quicquid patimur venit ex alto Sen. Oed. 5.2 there is no evill that befalleth any either person or people but the Lord hath his hand in it f Lam. 3.37 38. Dare any man say they say that g Matth. 10.29 ought commeth to passe and the Lord hath not appointed it Doth not h 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Homer Odyssâ—ó both good and evill come out of his mouth But what then Doth God as i Heb. 12.10 earthly fathers doe who in an idle humour sometime correct their children without cause Or k Lam. 3.34 doth God take pleasure in stamping upon his people and in vexing and grieving of them No l Lam. 3.33 he doth not willingly or from the heart punish and afflict the sonnes of men m Est placidus facilisque pater veniaeque paratus Et qui fulmineo saepè sinè igne tâ—nat Qui cùm triste aliquid statuit fit tristis ipse Cuique fere poenam sumere poena sua est Ovid. Pâ—nt 2.2 Est piger ad poenas Deus est ad praemia velox Quique dolet quoties cogitur esse ferox Multa metu poena poenâ qui paâ—ca coercet Et jacet invitâ fulmina rara manu Ibid. 1.3 Torqueris ipse cùm tam lenis irasceris Plin. ep 21. l 9. It is a griefe to him to be grievous unto us it is a paine to him to be punishing of us It goeth as much against the heart with him to afflict as it goeth against the haire with us to be afflicted Why but what is the cause then that he dealeth so harshly with us that he carrieth himselfe so austerely towards us * Lam. 3.39 Wherefore is the living man afflicted Man suffereth for his sinne n Lam. 3.42 Victa tamen vilio est hujus clementia nostro Et venit ad vires ira coacta suas Ovid. Pont. 2.2 Ergò illum demens in me sevire coegi Mitius immensus quo nihil orbis habet Idem trist 4.8 Nunc quoque nil fecit nisi quod facere ipse coegi Nec minus infestus quà m fuit esse potest Idem de Pont. 1.3 Exacerbamus Deum impuritatibus nostris ad puniendos nos trabimus invitum Salvian de provid l. 4. c. 5. Wee have sinned and rebelled against him and he hath not spared us o Deus boâ—us de suo saevus de nostro Tertull. de resurr 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Basil Câ—s homil 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Greg. Naz. orat 6. God is good of himselfe he hath his harshnesse from us it is our corruption that requireth it p Crudelem medicum intemperans ager facit P. Syr. A disordered patient maketh a cruell Physitian By our disordered courses q Esa 27.4 Ier. 7.19 Cùm ejus naturae sit meus Dei atque majestas
liberally to his Grand Fathers gift hath increased the salaries of the Teachers and beside sundry yeerely pensions to the poore both of this place and of divers others neere about you to incourage Parents the rather to set their Children to learning and the Children to bend their minds and endevours thereunto hath given a e Seventy pounds per annum large and liberall exhibition for the maintainance of seven Scholers in one of the Universities to be chosen successively each yeere from your Schoole The Lord reward this his bounty and liberalitie abundantly into the bosome of Him and His give you grace to make a good use of it and stir up many more whom he hath blessed with abilitie to shew their thankfulnesse in like manner to him from whom they have it by setting apart and consecrating some part of their meanes to the furtherance and advancement of religion and learning Branch 2 Hitherto of the Agent the Act followeth and that is Teaching or Instruction I will teach Doctrine 5 Here is the Schoole-masters worke to teach to instruct f Psal 32.9 I will instruct thee and teach thee saith our Psalmist else-where And g Prov. 4.3 4. When I was young and tender my Father taught mee saith Salomon A worke and duty of great necessitie Reason 1 For the soule of man is naturally instar tabulae abrasae as a cleane paire of tables that have nothing at all written in them h Nemo nascitur artifer Non dat natura virtutem Ars est bonum fieri Virtus non contingit animo nisi instituto edocto ad summum assidua exercitatione perducto Ad hoc quidem sed non cum hoc nascimur Et in optimis etiam antequam erudiat virtutis materia non virtus est Senec. epist 9. There is no grace or goodnesse learning or art naturally written in it howsoever some grounds there are whereby these things may through industry and Gods blessing be attained Reason 2 Yea in regard of grace and goodnesse it is instar codicis depravati as a booke blurred and blotted or depraved and misprinted that must have much rased and done out ere it can be well corrected or that written into it that it ought to have It is l Vt ager quamvis fertilis sine cultura fructuosus esse non potest sic sine doctrina animus Cic. Tusc l. 2. Cultura animi philosophia est quae extrahit vitia radicitus praeparat animos ad satius accipiendos eaque mandat his serit quae adulia fructus uberrimos ferant Ibid. instar agri inculti as an untilled ground wherein * Incultis urenda filix innascitur agris Hor. sat 2. injussa virescunt Gramina Virg. Georg. l. 1. weeds of all sorts come up of themselves naturally but no good thing will grow without mucking and manuring without much travell and toyle it is a mother as a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Terra sponte nascentium mater consitorum est noverca Aesop apud Planudem in vita ipsius he said of the Earth sometime to the one it is but a stepdame to the other Vse 1 And first what a great mercy of God then is this to this Land and more specially to this place and many others that vouchsafeth such meanes and stirreth up the hearts and minds of worthy men to establish such courses whereby instruction and learning may be conveighed to us and our Children may be wrought into us and them that we may not be like savage people no better than brute beasts yea in some regard worse since k 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pejus est comparari jumento quà m nasci jumentum Chrys homil in ascens Domini It is worse as that ancient Father well saith to bee like unto a beast than to bee a beast indeed O learne if you bee wise to know your owne happinesse before many others to acknowledge Gods goodnes to you above many others and to shew your selves thankfull both to Him and to Those that hee useth as Instruments to provide such things for you Vse 2 Againe let this admonish Teachers of their Dutie and incite them unto the diligent performance of it as they beare the name so to execute the Office as they receive the wages so to doe the worke as they have undertaken the charge of it so to undergoe the burden of it and discharge faithfully the trust of so great a weight that the Parents of their Children have entrusted them withall even the soules of those their Children not their bodies onely as deare to them as themselves Otherwise if they shall beare the name of Teachers and not execute the Office they shall bee but Idols or as the Prophet saith l Zech. 11.17 Idol-shepherds so Idol-Teachers like Idols that have m Psal 96.5 the name but n Galat. 4.8 not the nature of God that have limbs and lineaments of a man but no action nor life o Psal 115.5 6 7. that have mouths but speake not hands but feele not feet but stir not c. If they take the wages and doe not the worke they shall bee no better than Theeves As he said sometime in Socrates that p 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Socrat. hist Eccles lib. 4. cap. 23. Monachus nisi operatus fuerit praedoni par censctur Cassiodor hist tripart l. 8 c. 1. the Monke that laboured not with his hands for his living was a Theefe so the School-master that laboureth not with his tongue in instructing his Scholers yea though he labour with his hands otherwise never so much yet if he tend not his Schoole and the instruction of those under his charge in it he is as very a Theefe as he that taketh apurse by the high-way side he might as well pick their Parents purses or pockets Yea if he be wholly carelesse of the discharge of his dutie herein he is little better than a Murtherer hee becommeth guilty of soule-murther as Bernard truly saith of Parents negligent in the education of their Children that they are q Peremptores potius quám parentes Bern. in Epist 111. rather Paricides than Parents For hee is a murtherer not onely that knocketh a man on the head or cutteth his throat with a knife or runneth him thorow with a Rapier but hee also that by detention or deniall of due food starveth him whom he stood bound to feed and releeve and so suffereth him to perish through his default As therefore you are called Teachers and are called to teach so bee you carefull to r Nomen tuum attende Esto quod diceris Hieron ad Paulin. answer your Name to be that that you are termed Apply your selves with all alacritie sedulitie and diligence to this necessary to this worthy worke Neither let it discourage you if you meet with some foolish and unthankfull persons or Parents that shall either slenderly consider your travell or con you little thanke for your
in Sion that yet want it and increase it dayly in the hearts of all those that already have it untill wee come all to meet and partake together in that c Psal 16.11 fulnesse of Ioy which shall never againe bee interrupted or eclipsed in us d Iohn 16.22 shall never in whole or in part bee taken againe away from us Amen FINIS Iacobs THANKFVLNES TO GOD FOR GODS GOODNES TO IACOB A MEDITATION ON GENESIS 32.10 Wherein by the way also the Popish Doctrine of Mans Merit is discussed By THOMAS GATAKER B. of D. and Pastor of Rotherhith LONDON Printed by IOHN HAVILAND for FVLKE CLIFTON 1637. TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL Sir WILLIAM WHITMORE of Appley in Salope Knight And Mr. GEORGE WHITMORE of London Alderman Saving Health true Honour and eternall Happinesse RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL I stood obliged to the Stock you both sprang from before I was able to apprehend what such obligation meant Your worthy Mother was one of those that presented me to the sacred Laver and that undertooke there in my behalfe Shee answered there for me * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Priusquam respondere possem uti Iunius vertit Psalm 119.67 when I could not answer for my selfe and did further also then seale up her free affection to me with a reall testimonie of her Love Neither did her kindnesse towards me then and there expire but as it was oft renewed in her life time when occasion thereof was offered so it ceased not untill her selfe deceased Shee performed one of the first religious Offices for mee soone after my birth and it was one of her last Pious works to remember me among others whom she had performed the like Office for at the time of her decease Some monument of my thankfull acknowledgement hereof being desirous to have extant whom should I addresse it unto rather than your selves the only two Principals now left of that Family Being therefore moved to make publike two of my weake Discourses containing the explication of two portions of Scripture of some neare relation the one to the other the one of them relating a memorable example of the performance of that that is promised in the other to wit of Gods blessing of those with temporall things that are carefull to looke after the spirituall This of the twaine I chose the rather to present your Worships The Worshipfull Companie of Haberdashers withall partly because at the motion of the one of you being then Head of that worthy Societie which I acknowledge my selfe also a debtour unto it was by word of mouth at first delivered and partly also that it may helpe for the best also even * Genes 35.1 Jacob himselfe in this kinde need helps to egge you on whom God hath blessed with so large a portion of his bountie unto those religious offices that by occasion of Jacobs example men of your rancke are therein encited unto whether risen from meane estate as with him here it had beene or from the first largely and liberally endowed as your selves The Worke indeed is growne much larger than at first was delivered by reason that a Question betweene us and the Romanists concerning Mans merit is therein now discussed which was then but touched upon and pointed at onely neither the streights of time admitting over-long discourse then nor such matter of controversie so well befitting the occasion that then was The rest without any materiall alteration or addition is the same for substance that then it was Which recommending entirely as now it is to your Worships together with my Love and Christian service to you both and mine heartie Prayers to God for the well-fare spirituall especially of you and yours with the rest of the Branches of that Family wheresoever now transplanted I take leave of you for the present and rest Your Worships ever in the Lord THOMAS GATAKER IACOBS THANKFVLNES TO GOD FOR GODS GOODNES to JACOB GENESIS 32.10 I am not worthy of all thy Mercies and all thy Truth which thou hast shewed unto thy Servant For with my staffe came I over this Jordan and now am I become two troopes THese Words are parcell of a Prayer conceived by the Patriarch Iacob in a time of distresse Coherence after his departure from Laban when a Verse 6. tidings were brought him that his brother Esau was comming in armes against him with foure hundred men at his heeles His Prayer consisteth of foure parts Iacobs prayer Parts 4. There is in it Part 1 1. A serious Protestation concerning the ground of his journey and his leaving of Laban to wit b Tu â—hâ—isti Vers 9. Gods owne Word hee had not done what he did of his owne head but by c Chap. 31.3 13. Gods speciall direction a good argument to assure him that God would therein secure him having his Word and Warrant for the ground of his Action d Summa est Deum sequi ducem secaritas Incedit tutâ—s qui ducem sequitur Deum Ambr. de Abraam s 1. c. 2. He walketh surely that walketh warily He walketh warily that walketh with warrant Part 2 2. An humble Confession and e Vers 10. acknowledgement of Gods goodnesse towards him illustrate and amplified by his owne unworthinesse of it and so f Indignitatis agnitio ingratitudinis amolitio a secret insinuation of his thankfulnesse for it Part 3 3. An instant suit and Supplication to God that hee would vouchsafe to stand by him in his present distresse and g Vers 11. deliver him out of the great danger that hee was in at that instant walking in no other way than that God himselfe had set him in Part 4 4. An Allegation of h Vers 12. Gods gracious promises i Chap. 28.14 15. formerly made him which might seeme likely to faile and to be utterly frustrate if he were now left to the mercie of his mercilesse Brother who minded nothing but the destruction of him and all his The words of my Text Text. are the second Part Part 2 And therein are these Particulars Particulars 1. His owne Vnworthinesse I am not worthy 1. Iacobs unworthinesse 2. Gods Goodnesse 2. Gods goodnes laid downe 1. In the Grounds Grounds 2. of it Mercie 1. Mercie and Truth 2. Truth Mercie in promising Truth in performing 2. In a Fruit Fruit. and Effect of it Iacobs Iacobs Penurie present estate now at his returne from Laban compared with what it was when he went thither He went over Iordan with his staffe alone And he was now become two bands or two troopes Gods bountie Where first in Generall Generall observe we ere we come to the Particulars * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost tom 8. serm 14. Iacobs Iacobs thankfulnesse Thanksgiving promised before his Petition How before he come to crave what he would have of God he doth in thankfull manner mention what already he had
vocaret vocatum justificaret justificatum glorificaret Et de sp lit c. 33. Hoe fiet in judicio ubi necessarium fuit commemorare miseric miserat Vbi jam exigi debita reddi merita sic possent videri ut nullus esset misericordiae locus Necessaria itaque est nobis Salvatoris misericordia sive cum convertimur sive cum praeliamur sive cum coronamur Idem de Corrept Grat. cap. 13. crowneth or q Cingit vel circumtegit Iun. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sicut Psal 5.12 Benevolentiâ tuâ tanquam umbone circumteges eum Observ 3 invironeth thee rather with Mercies saith the Psalmist and r Psal 103.10 doth not deale with thee according to thy deserts Å¿ Nam si secundum merita tibi daret damnaret te August in Psal 102. Si quod debetur redderet utique damnaret Idem in Psal 31. Si vellet pro meritis agere non inveniret nisi quod damnaret Idem in Psal 94. For if he should so doe hee should damne thee saith Augustine And t Psal 32.10 who so trusteth in the Lord Mercie shall u 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 encompasse him on every side saith David Now this point Confirmation that all that we either receive or expect is of Gods Mercie howsoever it be by the former consideration sufficiently confirmed For x Vise August supr de verb. Ap. Serm. 2. if we be not worthy of ought then is nothing of merit And if nothing of merit then all consequently of mercie Yet consider we for the further proofe of it these two things The manner of Gods Promises and Consider 2 The prayers of Gods Saints Consid 1 First the Promises of God run all upon Mercy a Exod. 20.6 34.7 Deut. 5.10 Gods promises Shewing mercie to thousands with them that love him and keepe his Commandements And b Luk. 1.50 His mercy is for ever and ever on those that feare him c Psal 103.17 18. and keepe Covenants with him and thinke upon his Commandements to doe them And d Malac. 3.17 I will spare them and there is mercy then that feare me and thinke on my Name as a man spareth his Sonne that serveth him e Iam. 2.13 Misericordiam qui non praestat alteri tollit sibi Chrysol ser 42. There shall bee judgement without mercy to those that shew no mercy And f In illo judicio in que justi coronantur injusti damnantur alii cum misericordia alii sine miseric judicandi Nam cum dicit Iudicium erit sine miseric iis qui non fecerunt misericordiam manifestatur in his in quibus inveniuntur bona opera misericordiae judicium cum misericordia fieri ac per hoc ipsam etiam misericordiam meritis bonorum operum reddi Aug. de Corrept Grat. c. 13. If without mercy to those that shew no mercie then with mercie even to those also that shew mercy saith Augustine Yea so saith our Saviour himselfe g Mat. 5.7 Blessed are the mercifull for they shall have mercie shewed them And h Rom. 6.23 The grace of God is i Sicut Ioan. 12.50 17.3 Quod Piscator observat that is bringeth life eternall saith the Apostle Which place Augustine entreating of k Mors meritò stipendium quia militiae Diabolicae mors aeterna tanquam debitum redditur Vbi cum posset dicere rectè dicere Stipendium justitiae vita maluit dicere Gratia Dei vita aeterna ut hinc intelligeremus Deum nos ad vitam aternam non pro meritis nostris sed pro sua miseratione perducere August de Grat. lib. arb cap. 9. Gloss Ordin in Rom. 6. The Apostle saith he having said the wages of sinne is Death because everlasting death is repaied as of debt due to the service of Sin and Satan he doth not say albeit he might also so have said but the reward of Righteousnesse is Life eternall But he chose rather to say Gods Grace or l Gratia nisi gratis sit gratia non est August Enchir. c. 107. Gratia enim vocatur quia gratis datur Idem in Ioan. 3. Quomodò est ergò gratia si non gratis datur quomodo est gratia si ex debito redditur Idem de Grat. Christi c. 23. Nisi gratuita non est gratia Ibid. c. 31. Nullo modo est gratia nisi fuerit omni modo gratuita Idem de pecc Orig. cap. 24. free favour is Life eternall that thereby wee might learne that God bringeth us to Life eternall not for our Merits but of his Mercy In regard whereof Tertullian also very fitly tearmeth alluding to militarie matters m Mortis stipendium Vitae donativum Tertul de Resurr carn Quo vocabulo usus est Durand in 2. Sent. d. 27. q. 2. the one a Stipend the other a Donative because as Bernard saith well n Aeternam vitam nullis potes operibus promereri nisi gratis detur illa Bern. de Temp. 48. Vnde scitè subjungit Idem ibid. Ipse enim peccata condonat ipse donat merita praemia nihilominus ipse redonat it cannot be had but by donation or free gift And o Merces ex dono nulla est quae debetur ex opere Hilur in Matth. Can. 20. if of free gift then not of due debt or desert for any worke done saith Hilarie For p Debitum donum non consistunt Faber in Rom. 8. gift and debt cannot stand together saith Faber Yea Cardinall Cajetan himselfe on those words of the Apostle q Non dicit quod stipendia justitiae vita aeterna ut intelligamus non ex nostris meritis sed ex gratuito Dei dono assequi nos vitam aeternam Cajet in Rom. 6. He saith not The wages of righteousnesse is Life eternall but the grace that is the gift of God is life eternall that we may understand that we attaine life eternall not by our merits but by Gods free gift For which cause also he addeth In Christ Iesus our Lord. r Ecce meritum ecce justitia cujus stipendium est vita aelerna nobis autem est donâ—m ratione ipsius Christi Iesu Idem ibid. Behold the merit behold the righteousnesse the wages whereof is life eternall but to us in regard of Christ himselfe it is a gift And lastly to adde one place more of so many as might bee added Å¿ Psal 62.12 With thee is mercy saith the Psalmist to God for thou wilt reward every man according to his works Concerning which words Gregorie on that of the Psalmist t Psal 143.8 Make me to heare thy mercy in the morning which u Greg. in Psal Poenit. 7. he expoundeth the resurrection having moved this Question x Si illa Sanctorum foelicitas c. misericordia est non meritis â—oquiritur â—bi erit quod scriptum