sound that way also But Etymologies doe not alwayes yeild good grounds of Diuinitie It is well if there bee a correspondencie an equalitie is more then may bee hoped for betweene Gods worke and ours Which I obserue the rather because the Rhemish note findeth Sacisfactorie workes in this word forgetting their owne Dininitie which maketh Satisfaction attend penance but not the Sacrament of Baptisme But to leaue them and deliuer the truth concerning Repentance We must obserue that in sin there are two things the Guilt and the Act of sin the Guilt infinite the Act finite Nothing can worthily satisfie for the Guilt but only the pretious death of Iesus Christ his Bloud only is the propitiation for our sins But the Act is finite wherwith we sin so is the Act wherwith we repent between these Acts we shuld endeuour to shew an emulation so that looke what pleasure we tooke in sinne against God so much sorow should we expresse when wee returne againe vnto God hee that sinneth a great sinne must not thinke it enough to sorrow as hee doth for a small one Peter wept but bee wept bitterly because he had sinned grieuously and King Dauid wore out his eyes and watered his Couch with his teares sorrowing for those sinnes wherewith he had prouoked God But let vs draw this through both parts of Repentance Mul ò firmior est Fides Charitas quam repoint I â—enitâ—ntia Lactantius Vitque Deo gratior amore ardens pest culpam vita quà m securitate torpens innocentia Gregorius and see how the degree must appeare in them In the first of solemne Repentance the rule is If a man slip in his faith or loue of God and recouer he will cleaue faster vnto God and loue him mere ardently and he pleaseth God the better when his loue after a recouerie groweth zelous then when in innocencie it groweth lukewarme As in the bodie of a man if an arme or legge bee broken and bee well set againe it groweth the stronger Take an example from Saint Paul who as he was a bloudie persecutor so did hee proue a most painfull Apostle and most patient Martyr Saint Austines Confessions shew how erroneous in iudgement how dissolute in life he had beene but since the Apostles dayes neuer had the Church a better Bishop then was Saint Austin But if we should looke for this degree in this age we might happily seeke long but scarce find any parallel not but that there are euery where those that exceed them in sinne but of those that imitate them in Repentance we find none no Adulterers that so change as to become markable spectacles of Continencie no Oppressors that turne Deacons and minister out of their goods to the necessitie of the poore no Drunkards that pinch their bodies with Fasting and Abstinence He that hath not commited vnlawfull things may be bold to vse the lawfull blessings of God and notwithstanding performe acceptable workes of Pietie but hee that hath beene a Fornicator an Adulterer c. must goe as farre in abstaining from the contentments of this life which are otherwise allowed him as hee hath exceeded in the vse of them 〈…〉 But this Rule is growne too much out of date and we thinke that so we repent it matters not in what degree we repent and so we make a reall Confession that howsoeuer we doe turne to God yet wee are afraid to bee too farre estranged from our sinne Wherein God doth not obtaine so much of man as the Deuill doth For when a good man degenerateth hee keepeth no meane but commonly striueth to be the worst plunging himselfe most deeply into sinne and persecuting goodnesse and good men most bitterly It were to be wisht that our zeale that turne vnto God were no worse in the loue of goodnesse and the hatred of sinne But it is rather to bee wisht then hoped for The Reason of it lieth in our neglect of that degree which should be in the second kind of Repentance for if we did affect that we would bee more apt vnto this The Degree of the second kind of Repentance is when a mans outward life striueth to bee answerable to his inward calling It is strange to see how in worldly state euerie man striueth to liue futably to his ranke and is accounted base if he doe not so if of a Yeoman hee become a Gentleman of a Gentleman a Knight as his person is improued so will he improue his port also yea the excesses of all sorts of men shew that herein euery man goeth beyond his ranke in his house in his fare in his clothes But in our spirituall state it is nothing so for our house we can be contented to dwell in seeled houses when the Arke of God is vnder Tents and who doth endeuour that himselfe may be a Temple fit for God As for our Clothes they should be royall our Garments should euer be white the wedding Garment should neuer be off but we are so farre from couering our nakednesse with conuenient robes that it appeares not in the eyes of God as that we take no care to hide our filthinesse from men Certainly we doe not endeuour to be clothed with the righteousnesse of Saints Finally for our diet we that are called to the Table of the Lord and should be sustained with Angels food content our selues with Swines meate for what else are filthy lusts Wherein wee are so much worse then the prodigall childe in that he did desire them and no man gaue them to him we haue our sils his was desired of necessitie but our food is voluntarie In a word we are called to be sonnes of God our eye is seldome vpon our Father to see what beseemeth his Sonnes wee are called to be members of Christ but little doe wee care what beseemeth that Mysticall Bodie wee rather are in name then in deed either Children of God or Members of Christ I conclude this point with Nazianzens Admonition we may not counterfeit our puritie but haue it remarkable and illustrious wee must haue our soules perfectly died with grace Let vs walke worthy of that vocation whereunto we are called This lesson belongeth to them that are of age betweene whom and infants there is this difference that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Repentance which is Gods worke is enough for Infants but bring forth fruit belongeth to them that are of riper age If time be granted vnto vs after our Conuersion it is granted to the end that by our good Conuersation wee may set forth the vertues of him that hath called vs into his maruailous light And we should thinke it enough if not too much that we haue spent the time past in those lusts that are vnbeseeming Christians but wee may vse that saying of the Apostle Rom. 2.5 Know you not that the patience and long-suffering of God draweth you to Repentance but you after your hearts that cannot repent treasure vnto your selues wrath against the day
which might be done but also out of hatred of that which he had done he cannot be said truly to repent that continueth on his enter-medling with that which caused his sinne whereof he doth repent Godly sorrow for what we doe amisse is ioyned with a perfect hatred of that which did seduce vs otherwise we should wash our selues that we may be defiled againe and that we might surfet againe ease our stomaches of that which did surcharge them and so as it is in the Prouerb returne like Dogges to our vomit and like washt Swine to our wallowing againe in the mire Peter did not so he went out in detestation of his sinne he abandoned the place that gaue occasion thereof Neither did he onely goe out but he hastened out so some interpret the word in St Marke And indeed feare and hatred adde wings vnto our feet and will turne our going into flying and he that is slow paced doth betray his good-will towards sinne and that he doth neither hate or feare it as he ought And verily such Snailes are all vnwilling Penitents they thinke there is no reason why they should make speed yea why they should stirie at all most are like vnto Lot's sonnes-in-law who when they were wisht to be gone because GOD would destroy Sodome thought that Lot did mocke them And we are thought oftentimes to be but merrie-men when we tell you that GODS Iudgement hangs ouer you and therefore it is high time for you to forsake your sinnes They that are not so bad as Lot's sonnes-in-law yet will be as vnconstant as Lot's wife who went out indeed but yet looked backe to Sodome so doe they giue ouer their sinnes but as those that are sorrie for that they haue parted companie with them You haue an excellent proofe hereof in the 18 Chapter of the Reuelations where the destruction of spirituall Babylon is related The Kings that had committed fornication with her the Merchants that had bought of her commodities the Mariners that had made long voyages to her all went out but being out they looked on not reioycing as the Saints there doe but lamenting and mourning and crying out Alas alas for that great Citie Where sinne is there is Babel For what is Babel but confusion And what doth more confound then sinne And yet doe we no more willingly part from sinne then those persons did from Babel There is one cause more of Saint Peters going out and that was that he might haue more libertie to performe the second Act of Repentance and weepe bitterly Theophylact doth interpret the word in Saint Marke Obuelauit se he couered his head And indeed so were malefactors vsed in the Easterne Countreys you read it in the storie of Haman and haply so much is meant in this Chapter where our Sauiours face is said to haue beene couered In the West-Countrey they had also the like custome as appeares by that clause in the capitall Sentence Caput obnubito vaile his head so that Saint Peter did iudge himselfe by that Ceremonie to be a sonne of death and as a sonne of death did he bewayle himselfe Adde hereunto that solitarinesse doth argue sinceritie in our Repentance for Ille dolet verè qui sine teste dolet he cannot be thought to dissemble that calleth no witnesses of his griefe but onely GOD and his holy Angels Finally He that is solitarie will mourne not onely more sincerely but more freely also he that is alone hath nothing to restraine him but if euer he will then poure forth his soule before GOD grouell in dust and ashes bathe himselfe in his owne teares and with sighes and groanes that cannot be exprest often interrupt his penitentiall prayers In a word he will in the best fashion performe the last Act which here we read of in St Peters Repentance he will weepe bitterly Percussit Petram effluxerunt aquae Peters heart in the heat of his denying seemed to be as hard as a rocke but when CHRIST with his Spirit toucht Peters heart it melted into teares as the rocke did into waters when Moses strucke it with the rod of GOD. But in this Act of weeping bitterly we must obserue that the bitternesse was in the soule the teares came from the body No doubt but Peters heart was ouer-whelmed with sorrow while he was in the High Priests Palace and you know that Strangulat inclusue dolor atque exaestuat intus and it cannot be eased except the heart be vnburdened by teares But we must take heed that we doe not seuer the soule from the body when we bewayle our sinnes yea the heart must begin to the eyes the bitternesse of the heart must goe before the weeping of the eyes otherwise we know that of teares the Poet hath long since noted Hae simulare docentur hae quoque habent artes many shed Crocodile teares and hypocriticall which cannot be reckoned amongst true Penitents Often-times the body cannot weepe though we would neuer so faine the reason may be in the temper thereof but if there be a rationall sorrow in the heart GOD accepts the will insteed of the act and will impute teares vnto vs though we neuer shed them This act of weeping bitterly is no indifferent thing but a prouident rather for weepe and sorrow we must for sinne either here or hereafter Luke 1â— Math. 33. and that we may not weepe hereafter either in Iudgement when we shall be reiected or in Hell when we shall be tormented we must weepe here and let the bitternesse of sorrow succeed in the place of the sweet fruit of sinne The last note therefore that I will giue vpon this Act is the Effect hereof For there are comfortable and vncomfortable Teares Esau did weepe when he had sold his Birth-right but he found no place for repentance though he sought it with teares but St Peters had a happier issue Aust Cons l. 3. Filius tantarum lachrymarum perire not potuit he that wept so bitterly did not faile to speed of grace his teares did wash away his sinnes The Fathers compare them to a Baptisme not meaning that they restore our adoption againe but onely that they release the suspension thereof neither meane they to preiudice the worke of faith which must goe before but to shew what GOD moreouer expects of vs and what he accepts in vertue of our faith And verily the CHVRCH hath euer held that the lesse excuse we haue for our sinne after Baptisme the more humiliation is expected from vs and vpon our humiliation In Ps â—1 if we be faithfull we may promise our selues restitution into the fauour of GOD. Thy sinnes saith St Chrysostome are written in a Booke and thy teares are as a spunge weepe and thy sinnes will be blotted out and there will no record Remaine extant against thee Were it not for this reliefe the Nouatians opinion would hold current and there would be few that could haue hope that after their fall they
dung whose labour is only to make themselues euerlasting fuell for hell God regardeth them accordingly and they receiue as little of this ioy of saluation as they would seeme to want it But if wee meane to receiue wee must first feele that we doe want and our want must be declared as King Dauids was in this supplication restore For God then begins to take pittie when men are brought to the knowledge of their wants yea he giueth men a sense of their want before he vouchsafeth a supply thereof But redde doth not only imply a sense of want but a remembrance also of that which sometimes we had It is a good thing for a man to bee feeling of his want but there is no small accesse made vnto that gracious sense if we apprehend withall that our want proceeds from our owne vnthristinesse that what wee want wee had and that it is through our owne fault that we are brought vnto this want And indeed if euer wee be in want we want through our owne default for God made vs perfect and we became not naked but by eating the forbidden fruit and since that time men haue beene more or lesse vnthriftie and haue mispent the portion which God hath giuen them Therefore wee must not come to God with the simple Verbe da that imports only that we are in want we must vse the compound redde we must confesse our selues Prodigals that is the right voice of a Christian Penitent But whereto shall we apply this restore To the saluation Or to the ioy Distinguish Quod fieri debet quod fit our deseruing and Gods dealing and the answere is plaine no doubt wee forfeit our saluation God might strip vs of it if hee did reward vs according to our sinnes Gods Couenant is like a lease that hath a clause of re-entrie but leaueth a power in the Land-lord to vse extremitie or deale mercifully with his Tenant God is vnto his children as a kind Land-lord vnto bad Tenants he doth not take forfeits as often as we make them hee doth not re-enter vpon our Tenement nor strip vs of our saluation we are often damnable yet we are not damned Notwithstanding hee doth not suffer vs to scape scot-free when he doth not take the forfeiture hee taketh à nomine poenae he doth inflict some penaltie yea and that a sharpe one too for he taketh euen from his dearest children the ioy of their saluation hee casteth them into sad moodes hee afflicteth them with heauie hearts when they looke vpwards they see cloudes cast ouer Gods countenance and cannot but sorrow for it when they looke downe they see Hels mouth gaping for them they cannot but tremble at it such agonies ouertake them and make them smart for their sinnes wherewith they offend God agonies I say of sorrow and feare Take a similitude from the Sunne which may make a day or a Sunshine day while it is aboue our Horizon it is often day when the Sunne doth not shine but thicke clouds breathed from the earth make a sad skie as if it were night yet cannot we say the Sunne is gone downe euen so many times are we in the state of saluation the Sunne is with vs wee are children of the day yet haue wee no ioy of our saluation our Sunne doth not shine wee haue no cleere day But from King Dauid you may learne that to bee sure of saluation will not content a religious heart except hee may haue the ioy thereof also I conclude this point let vs take heed that pleasure strip vs not of pleasure worldly of heauenly let vs not grieue God lest he grieue vs grieue him with sinne lest he grieue vs with sorrow for we see in King Dauids example that God inflicts such penalties and if at any time we suffer so for our desert let vs not continue stupidly in this distressing want but importune him with King Dauids Restore Restore mee to the ioy of thy saluation And so much of the first part of the supplication I come now to the second from the Restitution to the Confirmation Stablish me with a free spirit Where first we must see what spirit is here meant There is a spirit in man and there is a spirit of God some vnderstand the one some vnderstand the other I wil ioyne both together For indeed the attribute belongs to both Gods spirit is free and so is mans but Gods by nature mans by grace couple Gods Spirit vnto mans and then you shal find the saying of the Apostle true Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is libertie 2. Cor. 3. Rom. 8. Iohn 8. for it is the Spirit of adoption and if thereby the Sonne of God make vs free then are we free indeed Therefore I told you that here by the Spirit I vnderstand our disposition But this disposition of ours must bee considered as it is by nature so it is seruile as it becomes by grace so it is free I called it a generous disposition and indeed so the word signifieth But to open it a little more fully Iohn 8. ver 34 we learne of Christ that sinne maketh a slaue it appeareth plainly in that which we call free will and the attendants thereon Freewill is resolued into the iudgement wee passe vpon things and the choice wee make according to the iudgement now no man hath a more slauish iudgement then a wicked man for sin blindeth his eyes what he doth not desire he doth not beleeue and you shall seldome see a man possest with any enormous sinne in whom affected ignorance is not euident yea sinne maketh him put that out of all question which if he would vse his owne iudgement hee would find had no credibilitie Had it not beene for this seruilitie of iudgement Pharaoh could neuer so long haue held out against Moses Israel haue murmured so often against God Scribes and Pharisees haue so fearefully blasphemed our Sauiour Christ the Church of Rome so shamefully withstand the truth and Atheists so prophanely scoffe at the reproofe of their sinnes not one of these many leud ones which hath not a seruile iudgement Neither hath seruilitie taken possession only of our iudgement but of our will also wee can make no better choice then our iudgement will giue vs leaue if that be seruile this cannot be free Not free Nay it were well if it were no more seruile then our iudgement but indeed it is much more for how often doe we see what we should doe and yet to please sinne chuse to doe the contrarie Whether we be regenerate or whether we be vnregenerate for the text is vnderstood of both by seuerall Diuines we may say with the Apostle Rom. 7. I see a Law in my members rebelling against the Law of my mind and carrying me captiue vnto sinne we haue vncircumcised hearts and doe resist the Spirit of God Take an example or two the Pharisees could not denie the Resurrection of Christ the
may read enough in the life of SOLOMON to iustifie this point But this was not the sinne onely of the Old Testament it quickly entred vpon the New no sooner had the Apostles planted the Christian Faith but impure Heretickes poysoned the Religion at the root and by wicked notions of God and Goodnesse seduced many simple ones vnto all dissolutenesse of life as we read in IRENIE and EPIPHANIVS Yea no sooner was the Gospel restored in these latter dayes but Anabaptists and Libertines trod the very same steps and turned Heauen into Hell and God into the Diuell As for our selues Beloued our Positions are sound and good but our Conuersation should be answerable otherwise the Apostle will tell vs That we denie God euen when we professe him deny him in deeds when we professe him in word yea whereas GODS Image is not Verball but Reall if we will goe for GODS Children and doe the workes of the Diuel how farre are we from this sinne of the Iewes You that are the Penitent should especially lay this to your heart for this brings your sinne vnto his heighth and if you thinke how prophane it is to beare our Incest with Periurie you may haue grace to acknowledge your guilt guilt of supposing GOD to be like vnto your selfe for such doing can hardly goe without such thinking especially if a man continue long therein When a sinner is come to this passe GOD can hold no longer he ceaseth his patience which the Iewes abuse and proceedeth to vengance against which they cannot except He that toucheth GOD in his Wisedome as doth the first kind of Atheist toucheth him neare but GOD beares it He that toucheth him in his Prouidence as doth the second kind of Atheist toucheth him nearer yet can GOD endure that also But he that toucheth him in his Holinesse as doth the third kind of Atheist toucheth him nearest his wrath for such a touch must needs breake out As the Will is the supremest facultie of the reasonable Soule so Holinesse the perfection of the Will is the chiefest of vertues therefore man should be certainly GOD is most tender of it if any impeach that he will certainly reproue them Reprofe is either verball or reall GOD reproues verbally or in word by his Ministers of that we heare as often as we heare from them the doome of sinne for it is Praeiudicium ante iudicium they tell vs what we are and how we shall faire and GOD will make good their words when he entreth into Iudgement But when we are not the better for the Verball then GOD commeth to the reall Ps 29. and then we shall find that Dei dicere is facere The voyce of the Lord is a glorious voyce mightie in operation it breaketh the Cedars of Libanus Hebr. 4. and diuideth betweene the sinnewes and the marrow it not onely rips a man vp to the verie heart root but is able to crush him all to pieces King DAVID describeth the effects of it Psal 39. When thou ô Lord with rebukes doest chasten man for sinne thou as a moath makest his beautie to consume This he vttereth more at large in the 90 Psalme yea read all the Psalmes that are Penitentiall and you shall find vpon the rebuke of GOD what a comfortlesse Soule what a healthlesse Body King DAVID had And if the Children of GOD feele such effects at GODS rebuke which notwithstanding haue euer some sparkes of comfort how doth it crush nay grind forlorne wicked ones If the voyce of Sion the rod of a man the correction of a father be so terrible that DAVID cryeth out O Lord rebuke me not in thine anger â—s 6. neither chasten me in thy heauy displeasure how dreadfull is the voyce of Sina the iron rod the destructiue wrath of GOD to whom shall wretched man flye what shelter shall he take there is no vmpier to qualifie the doome nor any defender to beare off the stroake certainly it is a fearefull thing so to fall into the hands of the liuing God You that are the Penitent are yet but vnder the verball you are not come to the reall reproofe happy shall you be if you make so good vse of this as to preuent that But be sure that the neglect of correction doth vndoubtedly prognosticate destruction to a sinner such destruction as shall not onely be iust but also take away whatsoeuer exception for God will set mans sinnes before his eyes The Hebrew hath nothing but I will order or marshall before thy face the Septuagint supply out of the first clause These things hast thou done 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thy sinnes St HIEROME out of the second clause thou thoughtest me like vnto thy selfe supplyes Thy selfe Proponam tibi te I will set Thee before thy selfe they are easily reconciled for the person is vnderstood in regard of his sin so that Thee and thine iniquitie is all one In professed wicked men there is not the distinction that is in the Regenerate of Ego Rom â— Peccatum the Old and the New man such a one is not a double but a single man But to come to the point the word ordering or marshalling doth giue vs to vnderstand that we delight in doing of sinne but not in beholding of it behold we can the seeming profit and pleasure that doth accompanie it but the breach of the Law or wound of our Soule we endure not to behold because there is pleasure in the act and remorse in the remembrance thereof But what we cast behind vs GOD will set before vs. The word marshalling importeth two things First that the sinnes are many but confused so that we doe not discerne either the great number or the vnequall measure of them whereupon it followeth that we cannot iudge either how grieuous or how vgly they are but GOD will so dispose them that we shall take notice of euerie one and euerie one according to his pitch Good things well digested are the better discerned and yeeld the more content and euill things displayed will the more vndeniably conuict vs of folly and more vncomfortably distresse vs with our want of grace These two conuiction and confusion doe necessarily accompanie the marshalling of our sinnes and if one sinne of murder wrought so vpon CAIN one sinne of treason vpon IVDAS that the one could not rest the other hanged himselfe in what case thinke we shall the wicked be when GOD shall set all their sinnes before them It is good then for men to vnburden themselues as neare as they can of all sinne seeing there is so much euill in the sight of any one sinne and we cannot auoid the fight of any especially if it be such as this Penitents sinne an enormous sinne and a crying sinne See it therefore now and let repentant teares wash out the characters thereof least remaining of record you be forced to see it when there will be no meanes of blotting it out A second thing that
Soule and we serue euery one his seuerall Lusts so that though we consist of a Soule and a Body yet the Scripture calleth vs carnall as if so be we had no Spirits In our worldly state euerie man laboureth to range himselfe with the best and we account them base that being of noble blood affect not the companie of their equals but in our spirituall state we are not sensible hereof we are not ambitious but base euerie one stoopes below himself and loues to grouell rather then stand vpright we loue comming downe But this comming downe is not all the euill of our fall it is accompanied with a bruise our nature by it doth not onely become more base but more feeble also for euerie sinne giueth a wound it impayreth grace in euerie power our vnderstanding groweth more dimme our will more impotent and our affections lesse capable of controwle Sinnes are like rebels that not onely reuolt but also keep castle against their Soueraigne whence they are not easily remoued euerie mans experience yeelds profe hereof and warrants this truth that sin doth not onely disgrace but also disable a sinner But sinnes are not all equall and therefore produce not all equall effects the Stoicks paradoxe is long since condemned and whether we looke to that wherein we sinne our dutie to GOD or our Neighbor or that wherewith we sinne I meane the degrees of our wills that concurre in our acts we shall find great odds and confesse that one sinne is greater then another and that all fals are not alike whether we look to the disgrace of the person or the weakning of our nature Not to goe from my Text or rather from this present occasion Incontinencie hath diuers degrees Fornication Adulterie Incest all communicate in Incontinencie but so that Adulterie is worse then Fornication and Incest worse then Adulterie Fornication violateth the good order that should be betweene single persons through vnruly Lusts Adulterie addeth thereunto a confusion of Families and taketh away the distinction of Heires and Inheritance but Incest moreouer abolisheth the reuerence which is ingraued by nature to forbid that persons whom nature hath made so neere should one vncouer the others shame as speaketh the Law and not onely that but adds that for such incontinencie the Land did spue out the Canaanites Leuit. 18. So that when you come to consider your fall you must consider not onely the nature but also the degree of it and your repentance must be answerable vnto your fall looke how farre you haue debased your selfe so farre must you be humbled and be afflicted with sorrow as deeply as you haue wounded your selfe with sinne Thus much you are taught in that your sinne is a fall But it must farther be learned whence these fals come and we find in the Text the occasions and causes of them The occasions are implyed in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth a stumbling at some thing that lyeth in our way we are apt to fall by nature because we are mutable but we doe not commonly fall except some occasion be giuen And the world is full of occasions The Diuell hath euerie where his stumbling blocks he knoweth whether our corrupt nature bendeth and worketh accordingly he hath a wedge of gold for couetous ACHAN a crowne for ambitious AESOLON a DINA for SHECHEM finally he knoweth what will worke our affections and our dispositions with that he plyeth and with that he wooeth our consent to sinne and these things the Scripture cals stumbling blocks and are the occasions of fals We all walke in the middest of them and are to take good heed vnto them but yet so that we doe not conceiue otherwise of them then they are strong motiues they are but they are but motiues perswade they may compell they cannot therefore they are not enough to giue a fall except the true cause be added to the occasion and we may not so dwell on the occasion as not to looke forward to the true cause we may otherwise blame others while we should be blaming of our selues and we are too apt to excuse our selues by making others guilty of our faults But we must passe on from the occasion to the cause and the cause will tell vs who doth most deserue the blame The cause appeareth in these words If a man be ouertaken whereon St HIEROME giueth a good note Praeuentio dici non potest cum quid praemeditatò fit so that this phrase importeth a difference of sinners whereof some fall through malice some through frailtie Through malice they fall in whom the principles of conscience are corrupt who wittingly and willingly commit sinne with greedinesse neither before the fact feeling any reluctancy neither after the fact conceiuing any sorrow Esay 5. these account euill good and good euill light darknesse and darknesse light sweet sower and sower sweet these are not within the compasse of my Text for they are not ouertaken This phrase reacheth onely those which sinne Dum aut latet veritas aut compellit infirmitas as BEDE speaketh either they are sophistically circumuented or vnawares transported and so take a fall We should weigh the validitie of the perswasions and bethinke our selues what we doe before we set our selues a doing we should enquire what GODS Law doth forbid or allow before we giue or withhold our assent But our affections vsually outstep our discretion and bring either false or rash intelligence whereupon we yeeld and slip verie often dum latet veritas for want of making diligentenquirie but more often dum vincit infirmitas while we are too indulgent to our affections And indeed howsoeuer in errors of Faith and mistakes of truth those that are without the Church or being within are not Orthodoxe Rom. 1. become vaine in their ratiocination as the Apostle speeketh and their ignorance is apparantly the child of negligence Yet in the default of manners and breach of the morall Law we haue little colour of ignorance all the blame lyeth vpon the impotencie of our affections the thiefe the drunkard the lyer the blasphemer all must yeeld that they knew what they should doe but obeyed their corrupt lusts in doing the contrarie And no other plea hath this incestuous person though her tongue should be silent yet her teares doe speake that this is her plea for the sacrifice of her broken and contrite heart sacrificed for that which she hath done testifieth that she knoweth well that she hath done amisse but did it being ouertaken for sorrow after a fact is the iudgement that the penitent passeth vpon his own fact in weeping for it she doth condemne it Our lesson is that we must be watchfull ouer occasions lest by them we become causes of our owne fall and if we sinne GOD grant vs grace to sorrow lest otherwise as we displease so we dispise GOD Such despisers are not to be accounted in the number of those that are ouertaken and so they
opinion of ignorant people towards them that are bad is to vilifie those that vndertake the defence of that which is good This hath beene alwayes the practice of the enemies of the Church whether Infidels or Hereticks as appeares by the Ecclesiasticall Storie and at this day the Romanists vse the very same method who spend more Bookes in reproaching their Aduersaries persons then in refuting of their Arguments and thriue better by this indirect course then they could by any that is direct You haue heard from what we must be separated It remaines that now in few words you heare How farre This it set downe in three verbes 1 Walking 2 Standing 3 Sitting wherein there is a gradation for standing is more then walking and sitting more then standing but this gradation is somewhat strange for though in Exhortations wee doe rise from the lowest degree to the highest yet in dehortations wee vse to fall from the highest degree to the lowest As for example when we exhort to liberalitie we tell men that it is not enough for them to haue a charitable heart they must also haue a good eye neither will a good eye suffice except they haue a liberall hand so do we by degrees draw them to the height of vertue but when wee dehort as for example from murder we tell men that they must be so farre from shedding bloud that they must not vtter so much as an vnkinde word yea they must bee so farre from letting loose their tongue that they must set a bridle vpon their hearts so doe wee endeuour to hold in the verie first motions of sinne Strange then may it seeme that these words being a Dehortation should follow the course of an Exhortation and in marshalling of sinnes should begin at the least but the reason is The Psalmist sets downe the method by which sin first entred vpon man and euer since doth worke it selfe into man to the end that we may obserue how we must preserue our selues from it and take heed that it preuaile not so farre as to bring vs to a desperate case There are three degrees here specified which ascend one aboue the other First the Serpent tries whether hee can worke in vs an vnresoluednesse of heart and tries whether we be stedfast in our faith and here must we begin to withstand him and not be brought to any parley such deliberation must be auoyded for it is no better then the receiuing the Serpents poyson into our vnderstanding which must be the guide of our life but if wee haue beene so foolish as to walke in his counsell wee must take heed that we bring not forth the fruit of that wee haue conceiued and let not our life witnesse that wee haue beene inueighled by his Counsell we must not stand in his way But it is too vsuall with men to be ouertaken with this second degree of sinne wherein the Serpent will not suffer them to rest He will carrie them forward to the consummation of gracelesnesse he will make them his seedsmen like vnto himselfe he is not contented to haue poison except he also poison others and whom he cannot worke to be a Serpent on him hee will roare like a Lyon euen so doe wicked men when they are come to the height of sinne they neuer cease till they haue corrupted or oppressed those that are good answerable to this contagious disposition of theirs the Septuagint and the Vulgar call their Chaire the Chaire of Pestilence for it is obserued as a malignancie that doth attend the pestilence that they who are infected take great delight to infect others also But when men come so farre they are euen past hope nothing remaines but that iudgement ouertake such Miscreants the floud must drowne these Gyants fire and brimstone from Heauen consume such Sodomites and such Israelites must bee corrected with the Babylonian captiuitie But I conclude You see how farre a man may goe in sinne if we will be as thorowly separated from it as we ought we must haue these three degrees alwayes before our eyes for we can neuer know certainely how to keepe our selues in the way that doe not know how farre wee may goe out of the way wherefore let vs take heed vnto these degrees that we slip not if it may be into any of them or if we slip in yet that we goe not so farre as to be past recouerie this is required in the first part of our Vow that Vow which we made vnto God in Baptisme PSAL. 1. VERS 2. But his delight is in the Law of the Lord and in his Law doth hee meditate day and night THe Article that is required on our part in the Couenant whereinto we are entred with God or the Vow which we haue made in Baptisme doth as I haue told you consist of two parts an Abrenunciation of the state wherein we stand by Nature and a Dedication of our selues vnto a better state whereunto we are called by Grace You haue heard of the first of these two parts of the Abrenunciation but you haue not heard of the best that is the Dedication The Abrenunciation is required Non per se sed propter aliud not that wee should rest in it but that wee should tend vnto a farther end by it The reason is plaine it is but Remouens impedimentum non efficiens communionem Heb. 12 1â— it is but the laying aside of the waight and sin which doth easily beset vs and clog vs in our race we haue not by it a Communion with God Men plow their ground but it is that it may bee the fitter to receiue good seed and they purge their bodies but it is that they may be the better able to digest good meat euen so the first part of our Vow serues to make way vnto the second true Pietie is like Iacobs Ladder which hath one foot vpon the Earth and the other in Heauen it is not enough to ascend from the earth we must also climbe vp into Heauen when we haue really shaken off our corrupt course we must then betake our selues vnto a better And that is expressed in the second part of our Vow Wherein we must obserue two points First Whereunto then in What sort we must dedicate our selues that whereunto is the Law of the Lord and the Text tels vs How and How long we must dedicate our selues thereunto How we must first receiue it into our Inward man our delight or Will with a Delight must be in the Law from thence it must spred it selfe ouer the whole Man we must meditate thereon You see How The Text also tels vs How long euen Day and Night this Dedication must neuer be giuen ouer These be the particulars whereof now briefly and in their order First we must see Whereto wee must bee dedicated and wee finde that it is The Law of the Lord. When wee finde that wee haue freed our selues from our serpentine guides then must wee bee aduised in
Causes of flight together and then learne from Saint Iohn Iohn 1.3 20. If our conscience doe accuse vs God is greater then our Conscience and knoweth all things And yet Saint Basil maketh such a liuely Description of the worke of Conscience in Iudgement that a man would thinke nothing could be added to the terrour thereof 〈…〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. The Conscience will so limme out our Liues and be such a Looking Glasse of all our deeds that by an vnspeakable power in a moment of time as we would thinke nothing can better represent our selues to our selues But for all that the Heart of a man is an intricate Labyrinth none knoweth it but God only as God himselfe teacheth in Ieremie 〈◊〉 17 1◠〈◊〉 4. 〈◊〉 4. As all things are naked before his eyes so will he then bring many things to light which are hid in darknesse When then both these terrours concurre whereof the one so much increaseth the other you will not wonder that the wicked vpon the apprehension thereof betake themselues to flight Flying is their shift but it is a vaine one for whether should they flie when euery creature which at the Creation was made a Souldier in Gods Hoast shall at the last Day become a Iaylour to arrest prisoners and present them at his Assizes What remayneth then but that they that cannot shrinke from the Iudgement â—isdome 17. sinke vnder it For wickednesse condemned by her owne witnesse is very timerous and being prest with Conscience alwayes forecasteth terrible things The man that was but questioned for wanting his Wedding Garment at the Marriage Matth. 2â— grew presently speechlesse Our Sauiour Luke 21. saith that their Iudgement shall come like a snare and indeed in the Psalme we reade that God shall raine vpon the wicked Psal 11. Snares Fire and Brimstone Storme and Tempest this is their partion to drinke Now we know that a Snare doth not only take but ouer-turne the wild beast that is taken therein But if the terrour of the Iudge doe not 〈◊〉 19.12 Vnder whom the mightiest Helpes doe stoope as it is in Iob nor the inextricable suddaines of his Iudgement yet the weight of sinne will crush and beare a Sinner to the ground Dauid in his owne person and conflicts with a guiltie Conscience out of which notwithstanding by Gods mercie he did finally rise yet confesseth that the sense of guilt is like a drowning Floud like a crushing Burden a Burden too Heauie for man to beare and if the righteous that Man after Gods owne Heart when he sell as a man were scarcely saued where shall the Vngodly 1. 〈◊〉 â— and the vnrighteous appeare You see then how true it is that The Vngodly shall not stand in Iudgement Causâ cadent cadent persond themselues with their Cause shall fall to the ground they shall both sinke as low as the Chambers of death But Bonâ— concessum quod impijs negatum as Bede noteth though They shall not yet shall The Righteous stand And no maruell for they shall bee free both from the guilt of Conscience and the terrour of the Iudge And why Their hearts are purified by Faith yea purified from dead workes whatsoeuer is mortall is taken from them for Christ Iesus of God is made vnto them Wisdome Righteousnesse Sanctification and Redemption 〈…〉 the Law of Life which is in Iesus Christ freeth them from sinne and death so that Rom. 8. Matth. 24. there is no condemnation vnto them which are so in Christ And if there bee no Condemnation then may they Lift vp their heads with ioy when Christ commeth 1. Iohn 3. Luke 21 knowing that their Redemption draweth neere If their Conscience doe not accuse them they may haue boldnesse in the Day of Iudgement they shall stand before the Sonne of Man and his Throne shall be vnto them a Throne of Grace But more distinctly The Standing of the Righteous is opposed to the Flying from and Sinking vnder Iudgement if Adam did flie only because hee was Naked that which remedieth the Nakednesse stayeth the flight now Nakednesse stood in Sinne and Mortalitie both these are remedied in the Resurrection of the Iust The Sinne is all taken away by the Imputation of Christs Righteousnesse and Sanctification of his Spirit The Mortalitie because as they are quickened by Grace in their Soules so their Bodies of Naturall become Spirituall 1. Cor. 15. and their Corruptible puts on Incorruption their Mortall Immortalitie so then there being no part of Nakednesse left there can remayne no cause of Flying And if not of Flying from then not of Sinking vnder Iudgement for that which is the Cause of Flying is the cause of Sinking also but the state of their Person doth deny al possibility of Sinking the Spiritin their Soule is the Pledge of their Inheritance in Heauen and their Bodies which they shall then receiue are not only Houses from Heauen 2. Cor. 5. but such as are fitted for Heauen both carrie vpward and not downward But marke more particularly 1. Thes 4.16 what the Scripture saith of the Resurrection of the iust The Dead in Christ shall Rise first Yea they onely shall Rise from death for the Resurrection of the wicked is not from but vnto Death from one Death vnto another And therefore in Saint Luke onely the Righteous are called Filij Resurrectionis Luke 20.36 because their Resurrection is vnto Life which is properly a Standing the wicked doe but Rise to take a greater fall they fall from a Temporall to an Eternall Death Secondly As the Righteous shall Rife first so being raysed 1. Thes 4.17 Rapientur in occursum They shall be taken vp into the ayre to meete Christ and so shall euer be with him So that except He fall they shall neuer fall they shall be remoued from the Earth which is the place of falling Thirdly they shall be placed at the right Hand of Christ to be taken vp vnto him is to be admitted to a Beatificall Vision Psal 16. for what is our happinesse but to see Him as He is For in his presence there is fulnesse of ioy and if we be placed at His right Hand there is pleasure for euer more secure Honour and endlesse Life if that support vs no feare of falling we shall certainely stand But to put it out of all doubt When we come to the right Hand Matth 9. we shall be set vpon Thrones and shall with Christ iudge the twelue Tribes of Israel 1. Cor. 6 yea the Angels also so farre shall we be from being wofully Passiue that wee shall bee gloriously Actiue in that Iudgement How we shall Iudge is a curious question I will not now vndertake to resolue it it sufficeth to my purpose that howsoeuer we shall Iudge as many as are honoured with that function may well be held Standers they shall neither Shrinke nor Sinke But we may not forget
a passing of our bounds Our lusts are apt to range and exceed God sets bounds vnto them by his Law hee would hold them in but it will not be we are Sonnes of Belial we will beare no yoake we breake Gods bands and cast his cordes from vs. Psal 2. The first euill of sinne is it maketh a lawles man and who doth not know that liueth in a society what an vnhappie libertie the lawles haue But why will man be lawles forsooth he thinkes that the more hee hath his will the more hee shall compasse his owne ends he thinks so but it proues not so that appeares in the next name of sinne that is Chata 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and noteth a shooting cleane besides the Marke When wee become Masterles the vpshot of our endeauour is to mistake euill for good and reape woe where wee looked for rest The wicked Wisd 5. confesse this truth and all Histories are but Chronicles of it they testifie that lawlesse men haue finally missed of that whereat they aymed yea that they haue therein bin deceiued most wherein they seemed vnto themselues to haue succeeded best And doth not this Name of Sinne then argue a sinner to be a Wretch But that which is the height of Euill in Sinne is noted in the third word Gnaon Peruersenesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And indeed Sin is nothing but the peruerting of a Creature God made the Great and the little World to set forth his owne Glorie but sinne turneth both to his dishonour God made the little World to be Lord ouer the great and Sinne turneth the Lord into the Seruant and the Seruant into the Lord God made Man a Consort for Angels Sin doth range Man with the Feinds of Hell Finally God made Man after his owne Image Sin doth change him into the Image of the Diuell most wretched peruersnesse Now seeing this threefold Euill is found in sinne as the Names thereof giue vs to vnderstand we cannot doubt but Sinne doth make a Miserable Man hee that is infected with it will confesse it though he be a King Certainely King Dauid doth He was at this time a King a victorious a glorious King obeyed by many Nations abounding in al kind of worldly prosperity Add thereunto that same gracious Entaile of his Crowne sent vnto him from God 2. Sam. 7. the verie crowne of blessings But see being stung with the Conscience of Sinne hee is sensible of none of these neither doth hee finde Comfort in any of them notwithstanding all these he confesseth himselfe a Wretch Wherein wee may obserue by the way the difference betweene the iudgement of flesh and blood and of a Child of God concerning that which maketh Happie the one placeth it in the Things of this life the other in the Peace of God And indeede so long as it is not well betweene God and vs all the World can giue vs no Content the consciousnes of sinne if we haue as feeling hearts as King Dauid had feeling the mischieuous nature of sinne wee will account our selues but Wretches and wee will with him fall to our Miserere mei Haue Mercie vpon me c. which is the second part of my Text. The Correlatiue of Miserie is Mercy as there were no neede of Mercy were there no Misery so because there is Miserie there is a remedie prouided for it and that is Mercy The Verbe doth properly signifie Be gracious to mee Grace is free loue so teacheth Saint Austin Non est gratia vllo modo si non sit omni modo gratuita that fauour deserueth not the name of Grace that can be either merited or requited But yet there are two sorts of this Grace one Quae datur non merenti another Quae datur immerenti The first was the Grace of Creation it proceeded from the free Goodnes of God for there was no possibilitie of Mans Deseruing before hee had his Being therefore was his Being a guift of Grace The second is the Grace of Redemption this proceeds also from Gods free Goodnesse this was vouchsafed to Man when he deserued the contrary he deserued eternall Death but God vouchsafed him eternall Life This speciall kind of Grace is called Mercy Therefore considering the Argument the Translator did not amisse in restrayning the amplitude of the words and rendring it Haue Mercy for Euangelicall Grace is Mercy and it is such Grace that is meant in this place But this Mercy is considered either in Affectu or Effectu as it is in God or as it manifests it selfe vpon Man The Remedy of Misery is Mercie but that Mercy must containe not only a Gracious disposition towards man but a powerfull operation vpon him God must be well affected so as that Mans state also may be altered In Miseries plea for Mercie these two cannot be seuered without Impietie or Blasphemie 1. Blasphemie for Sin Compassion are incōpatible if the one be not conceiued as the remouer of the other but he doth not so conceiue them that looks only to the Affection looketh not also for the Action of Mercy therefore he blasphemes the Author thereof Secondly there is Impietie in it for it argueth that a Man would be free from Gods displeasure but he would not part with that which offends his pure eyes Hee loueth to be a sinner And this is plaine Impietie But what are the effects of Mercy euen as many as are the euills of Sin In sin then there are two Euills the Guilt and the Corruption thereof the Guilt is resembled to a Debt 〈◊〉 1◠indeed it is a plaine Debt a double Debt for in euery sinne that wee commit we grow in arrerages vnto God in regard of the duty which wee owe him and God growes in Arrerages vnto vs in regard of the punishment that is due vnto vs. Now of these debts God keepeth a Booke all our misdeeds are recorded before him 〈◊〉 5. and of these Bookes there is mention made in the Reuel where the Soone of Man is represented vpon his Tribunall iudging all the World according to those things that are found in the Bookes that are open before him As in regard of the Guilt Sinnes are compared to Debt so in regard of the Corruption they are compared vnto Staines Staines of all sorts to Froth to Foame to Scumme to Drosse to Mire to all sorts of diseases and impurities of the flesh And indeed how can they bee other seeing they are the insection that wee receiue from the vncleane Spirit This being briefly obserued Let vs now consider of Dauids Prayer his Prayer for the Affection and Operation of Mercy First for the Affection in these Words Miserere Haue Mercy The Affection is the Roote from whence springs the Operation wee learne it in another Psalme Psal 80. Cause thy face to shine and we shall be saued therefore he doth well to make sure of that first because no hope of the other if hee speede not
vnto vs confusion of faces to our God also belonge Mercies and forgiuenesse though we bee plunged deepe in Miserte and Sinnes Cause thy face O Lord to shine vpon vs thy seruants and let not our sinnes seperate betweene thee and vs remit the Guilt purge the Corruption of vs miserable sinners which doe not present our supplications before thee for our owne Righteousnesse but for thy great Mercies though our sinnes witnesse against vs yet deale with vs according to thy Name for great are thy Mercies AMEN PSAL. 51. ver 3. For I acknowledge my transgressions and my sinne is euer before mee THis Psalme as heretofore you haue heard consists of two Vowes both were made by King Dauid one for himselfe another for his Kingdome the first doth expresse his Desire and his Promise his Desire to bee restored vnto and preserued in the state of Grace his Promise if hee speede hereof to performe religious seruice vnto God In the former Petition of his Desire there are two remarkeable things the Matter contained in it and the Manner of King Dauids redoubling it of the Matter I haue already spoken wherefore I now come on vnto the Manner And herein we must obserue first the Inference then the Amplification that is how that which followeth is brought in vpon that which goeth before and how King Dauid enlargeth himselfe in vnfolding the Confession of his owne Miserie and Petition for Gods Mercy In the Inference we shall learne that as God hath Mercy so it is for such as are sensible of their Miserie in the Amplification we shall learne that hee which is sensible must shew himselfe not onely ingenious in displaying his owne wretchednesse but bee assured also of the Remedie which is prouided by Gods Goodnesse But to looke more particularly into the former branch of the Amplification behold therein how King Dauid doth rip vp his sinnes the Branches the Root thereof the sinne which himselfe hath committed and the sinne which hee hath deriued from his Parents hee layeth open both both the Debt and the Vsury so Saint Chrysostom calls them Homil. ad Neophytos Hee beginneth at the sinne which himselfe hath committed he vseth not the querulous Prouerbe of the Iewes the fathers haue eaten sowre Grapes Ier. 34.29 and the Childrens teeth are set onedge the remembrance of his wofull Inheritance doth not make him forget his owne graceles Purchase no hee mindes this first hee first amplifieth the Debt which himselfe hath contracted In laying open this he obserueth two things the naturall Properties thereof and the supernaturall Euent which followeth thereupon the naturall Properties are two a Malignity and an Impiety he handles the Impietie in the next verse the Malignitie in this that I haue now read vnto you Malignity is a vexing euill first there is euill in his sinne hee toucheth a double euill euill of the Heart and euill of the Head of the Heart noted by the word Peshang which signifieth a rebellious inordinatnes of the will of the Head noted by Chata which noteth an erring Iudgement or misleading aduise these two euills are in sinne enormous sinne and where they are there they vexe for they are Coram or Contra before vs or Against vs the word beareth both significations and therefore it is translated both wayes and if we couple them as well we may then you shall finde that enormous sinne committed doth haunt our thoughts and afflict our wills Neither onely doe they so but they doe so incessantly so saith the Text they are Semper Coram Semper Contra Alwaies before vs and Against vs alwaies vexing both our Head and our Heart Of this King Dauid is ingeniously feeling and testifieth the truth of it in his owne Case in his owne Case I say for the sinne which he remembreth is his owne My transgressions My sinnes the disease of mine owne Head and mine owne Heart therefore saith King Dauid I am feeling feeling in my Head and feeling in my Heart for Agnosco I Acknowledge it Acknowledging importeth a worke of the Head which is Noscere to know and a worke of the Heart which is Agnoscere to Acknowledge the vse of knowledge the applying of it to our Liues Neither is King Dauid only feeling hereof but ingenious also in publishing the same for he did Acknowledge it in this Psalme These bee the particulars which offer themselues in this Text and whereunto God willing I shall now speake more fully and answerably vnto this * The 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 〈…〉 〈…〉 〈…〉 〈◊〉 of Welles Occasion But I must first touch at the Inference and shew you how these and the following words are brought in vpon those that goe before Haue mercy vpon me O Lord c. saith King Dauid for I acknowledge my transgressions c. Obserue then Mans deuotion must follow Gods direction neither may we hope otherwise to speede then we are waranted by his Promise Now God doth not promise Mercy but to those that are feeling of their Miserie in the beginning of the Leiturgie we heare daily out of Ezek. Eâ—c 18.21.22 At what time soeuer a sinner doth repent him of his sinne from the bottome of his Heart I will put al His wickednesse out of my remembrance saith the Lord Ioel. 2.13 and therefore out of Ioel we are called vpon to Rent our Hearts and not our Garments and turne vnto the Lord our God because hee is gentle and mercifull patient and of much mercy and such an one as is sorric for our Afflictions Mâ—t. 5.6 to this purpose doth our Sauiour Christ in the Gospell pronounce them Blessed that hunger and thirst after righteousnes saying Mâ—â— 11. â— they shall be satisfied and inuiteth those that Labour and are heauie laden saying he will refresh them Although then wee doe yeeld that the Mercy of God is infinite and that it is readie to releiue all wretches yet wee may not forget that in obtayning it there are Partes nostrae as Chrysostom speaketh there is some thing that God requires on our part hee requires that we approue vnto him our Repentance Saint Austin sets it forth in a prettie Dialogue betweene God and King Dauid Quidergo quaeris miserecordiam pecatum impunitum remanebit what saith God vnto King Dauid doest thou seeke for mercy so that thy sinne may remaine vnpunished Respondet Dauid respondeant Lapsi King Dauid replied and all sinners must ioyne in this answer with King Dauid Non Domine Nay Lord my sinne shall not bee vnpunished I know his Iustice whose mercy I implore my sinne shall not passe vnpunished but therefore would not I haue thee punish it because I doe punish it my selfe and so Chrysostome I see my sinne O Lord therefore doe not thou see it I register it in this Psalme therefore doe thou blot it out of thy Booke Agnosco ignoscas therefore pardon because I am penitent 1. Cor. 11. And indeed it is the Apostles Rule That if we would
As it seiseth vpon the Head and vpon the Heart so doth it vexe them both for it is Coram Nobis and Contra Nos both before vs and Against vs. The word Neged doth containe both Praepositions and therefore the Interpreters haue differed in their Translations but because sin cannot be before a Penitent but it will bee Against him therefore will I conioyne them both I will shew you that it doth haunt our Thoughts and afflict our Hearts Sinne then is fitly resembled vnto a Harlot painted that her countenance may by art worke what by nature it could not doe while she doth wooe her Louers that which she offereth to their view is the paynting but when she hath drawne them into her snare she giueth theÌ„ leaue then to see hir natiue hue she reuealeth then what before shee concealed Euen so sinne hath a faire out-side but the inside thereof is foule it puts on the one to allure but when men are allured then it sheweth them the other wee are easily tempted to the Act of sinne for pleasure maketh vs swallow the bait when the Act is determined the sight of the pleasure vanisheth but the sight of the guiltie corruption abideth by vs the painting is quickly wiped off and the vglinesse thereof appeares and the Angell of light is quickly turned into an Angel of darkenesse though wee striue to cast our sinnes behind vs will we nill we they will thrust themselues before vs. And why Hom 3i in Cap. 12. ad Hebraeoâ—â— they are grauen in Memoriâ Conscientiae as Chrysostome calls it they are registred in the Booke of Conscience which we are forced to read euen when we would be most glad to be rid of it but the relation thereof cannot be supprest our thoughts cannot be freed from it And this is the first vexing propertie of sinne it doth vexe our Thoughts But not our Thoughts only it vexeth our Hearts also it is not onely Coram but Contra not onely Before vs we cannot but thinke of it but also Contra Nos In Psal 35. we cannot but be tormented with it Saint Ambrose saith it is Vltrix Imago a verie Furie it is a Hell going before Hell and rackes vs before wee are put vpon the racke the Harlot suddainely turneth into a souldier and giueth vs as many deadly wounds as she gaue vs counterfeit kisses Chap. 20. verse 12. Chap. 1. Iob expresseth it in a verie fine Similie Wickednesse is sweet in the mouth and the wicked hideth it vnder his tongue but this meate in his bowells is turned it is the gall of Aspes the Wiseman speaketh it plainely Men entertaine sinne as a frend and make a Couenant with it but what is the issue it consumeth them and bringeth them vnto naught and as Saint Peter speaketh 1. Pet. 2. it fighteth against their Soules Neither is this vexing momentanie it vexeth Semper Alwaies Alwaies Before Alwaies Against a Sinner is the double Euill of sinne in the night in the day in prosperitie in aduersitie while hee is alone while hee is in companie a sinner that is rowsed to see his sinne cannot but be vexed with the Euill thereof Nec prius hi stimuli mentem quam vita relinquent Quique dolet citius quam dolor ipse Cadet The torments will not end before death and in the Reprobate after death this Vexation shall be much increased But of this Vexation more anon when I come to couple the first part of the Text with this latter Let vs come on then to King Dauids ingeneous feeling of this Malignitie Malignitie of his owne sinne And indeed it is his owne Sinne that he is feeling of Many studie sin and they can see euill enough in it but it is other mens sinne in other mens eyes Moates seeme Beames Mat. 7.3 but Beames in our owne eyes seeme not so much as Moates most men are like the Laodiceans thinke themselues Rich encreased in goods that they want nothing euen then when they are poore blind naked and miserable as Christ tells that Church Reuel 3. Hereupon it is Luke 18. that they come to God like Pharisees with I thanke God I am not like vnto other men but King Dauid choose rather to play the Publican to looke into his owne sores his errors his rebellions to amplifie his owne sinnes and fit them with their proper names to note the diseases of his owne Head and of his owne Heart It were to be wished that you that are Penetents had taken the same course You haue traduced your Pastors for the Diseases of their Head and reproached them by the names of Baals Priests you haue traduced your Brethren for the Diseases of their Hearts and doomed them as vnworthy of the Communion of Saints and see how God hath rewarded your Pride he hath suffered the Diuell to wound you both in Head and Heart he hath made you spectacles of those diseases which you condemned in others Rom. 7. they may presse you with that question of Saint Paul Thou that makest thy boast of the Law by breaking the Law dishounerest thou God And vpbraid you with the Prouerbe Luke 4.24 Physician heale thy selfe And it is a good warning that may be taken by vs all not to studie others before we haue studied our selues and not to let our censure passe against any more seuerely then against our selues so did King Dauid in his practise of Repentance and so must we we must looke into our owne Case not onely so we must bee feeling thereof also so much is meant by the word Acknowledging Acknowledge doth implie knowledge and adde thereunto the vse therof To vnderstand this we must obserue that for the ordering of our life God doth furnish vs with two helpes the one is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the other 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth signifie or note the Principles whereby wee doe distinguish good and euill 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 noteth the Application of these Principles to our Actions the first you may call Morall knowledge the second Morall Acknowledgement the latter cannot bee without the former and the former should not be without the latter But to touch at either of these for our present occasion God hath set downe those Principles which he thought expedient to guide a Christian Resolution but two Euils haue ouer-taken the Church The Papists they breed vp the people in an ignorant Deuotion and care not how litle they know the true grounds of Conscience but bid them rest contented with an Implicite Faith and rest their Soules vpon the Authoritie of the Church they offend in Parum in ouer-scanting of the peoples knowledge But the Separatists runne into the other extreame they offend in Nimium attribute too little to the Church and exceed in knowledge or fancies which they suppose to be Diuine knowledge And what maruell When leauing the guides of their owne Church then whom since the Apostles dayes God hath not raised vp in any
Kingdome so many and so worthy they commit themselues vnto obscure Guides that either lurke in corners or flie their Countrie No Bookes are for their eyes but those which are of their penning and they that scorne our Apocryphalls what Apocryphall writings doe they dote vpon And as no writings please them but such so no mens Sermons but theirs can edifie them and indeed they doe edifie but it is a Babel their sancies are no better then that Tower of confusion and yet to dwell in that they will forsake Hierusalem it selfe I will not amplifie your fault that are Penitents but a man may guesse at the modell of your knowledge by your Librarie by the Bookes any may guesse what Principles you follow not of your owne Church but of Conuenticles and this is that that hath made you Schismatickes hence forward you shall doe well to take your light from those Starres whom God hath placed in this Church especially seeing they refuse not to let those who with modestie desire to bee resolued see that their Light is deriued from the Sunne of Righteousnesse and that as Faithfull Stewards they presse nothing to the Consciences of their fellow seruants but that for which they haue warrant from their Master Christ wherein they differ from the Popish Pastors But Knowledge is not enough Acknowledgement is required also vnto 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we must adde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the Principles that we haue we must put in vre As our Knowledge must not be Headlesse so must it not bee Heartlesse when we haue gone so farre as that the Light of our vnderstanding can discerne betweene Good and Euill wee must then take care of our Affections that the heate of Grace giue them a good temper that they take a true taste of their Obiects that Loue and Hatred Desire and Feare Hope and Despaire arise out of that which was designed to worke them But to amplifie this a litle farther We should vse knowledge in guiding of our Actions before hand and trie what that is which offereth it selfe to be done before we goe about to doe it If a man were so aduised as timely to moue vnto his soule this question quid ago where about goe I such prouidence if it would not preuent all sinne because of the manifold temptations and mans too naturall infirmitie either in neglecting Grace which he hath or forgetting to pray for Grace which he hath not yet would it put off many a sinne and make vs take lesse content in the sinnes which wee doe not put off yea this would bee a good inducement to the thorough feeling of our slips which is the after vse we must make of our knowledge and is vsually meant by Acknowledgment for what is that but only that if sinne haue preuented our aduisednesse vpon a reuiewe we retract what rashnesse hath committed This is a profitable vse of Knowledge But sinfull soules are now become like corrupt Bodies corrupt bodies haue often times great appetites when they haue but small digestion so many desire much knowledge whereof they put but a little in practice yea as meat that is not digested in the Body doth incumber it and breeds in it many disquieting diseases so if our life bee not the better for our knowledge by our care to expresse it it will be much the worse by our quarrells that we will raise about it Socrates the Ecclesiasticall Historiographer reports a storie of one Pambo Lib. 4. c. 18. a plaine ignorant man such as you the Penitents are who came to a learned Man and desired him to teach him some Psalme hee began to reade vnto him the 39. Psalme when he had past the first verse I said I will looke to my waies that I offend not with my tongue Pambo shut the Booke and tooke his leaue saying that he would goe learne that poynt when hee had absented himselfe certaine moneths hee was demanded by his Reader when he would goe forward he answered that he had not yet learned his old lesson and he gaue the very same answere to one that many yeares after moued the same question I doe not desire that our people should haue so few Sermons the Canons of the Church haue prouided for the people better then so but this I desire that the people would make more vse of that which they learne and let their liues shew that they are the better for the Ministers paines for sure I am that it is their negligence that maketh the Ministers diligence the more needfull and though knowledge be wanting in too many places of the Land yet is Acknowledgement wanting much more the fruit of our paines is so farre from preuenting sinne in the people that we cannot speed so well as to worke a feeling thereof in them when they haue committed it we finde not that tendernesse in their soules which Nathan found in the soule of King Dauid and which King Dauid implies in his Acknowledgment But feeling is not enough that is not all that is meant by Acknowledgement though the feeling bee no lesse in the Heart then it is in the Head Therefore I told you that King Dauids was an ingenious feeling he published what he felt If sinnes bee onely secret then the humiliation of the inward man may suffice in the sight of God it is enough to confesse his faults or in a generalitie to acknowledge them in the publike confession of the Church without specification except the burden of his conscience giue him iust cause to reueale it that he may be relieued by Ghostly counsell but if what he conceiued inwardly hee hath vented outwardly in word or deede to the offence not of God onely but also of the Church then vnto the Confession made vnto God in priuate must bee added a publike also in the face of the Church such was King Dauids sinne and such is King Dauids Confession he testified publikely to the Church the Religious feeling that hee had of his sinnes and this is thereason why I called his dealing ingenious And indeed herein standeth the great conflict that Grace hath with flesh and bloud hardly are wee contented to be priuie to our selues of our owne sinfulnesse for though wee delight to commit sinne yet doe we not delight to behold our selues as we are sinners the more naturall the desire is in euery man to be reputed good the more vnsauorie is that search that sindeth him to bee nothing so And if wee are so vnwilling to know our selues to bee sinners much lesse will we endure that others should be of our Counsell therein Stultorum incurata pudor malus vlcera celat Many will rather die then be knowne that they are sicke of some shamefull disease but men are lesse willing to haue their sinnes published then their sores The more remarkable is King Dauids ingenuitie rather to be wished then hoped for in this Age wherein men sinne without shame but shame to Acknowledge their knowne
greater then the latter the Men against whom hee offended were his Vassalls God was his Soueraigne vnequall Obiects make vnequall sinnes and as is the sinne so must our apprehension be greater of greater sinne The apprehension then of the greater did cleane take away the apprehension of the lesser as when a man is afflicted with two paines the sharper drownes all sense of the duller so that though King Dauid were not without feeling of the wrong done to his Subiects yet was hee more feeling of the wrong done vnto God especially considering the amplification of the many fauours which God had vouchsafed him the more he was indebted to God the more reason he had to bee sensible of the offence which hee had giuen to him and so in comparison to greiue only for that And so should we in our Repentance make the measure of Gods fauours to vs the measure of that Repentance which the sinnes against our Neighbors doe at any time draw from vs. And thus much for the first branche of the Confession I come now to the second Wee haue heard Whom King Dauid offended wee must now heare How farre that appeareth in these words I haue done this euill in thy sight To offend God is to doe him wrong but to offend him in his sight is to improue that wrong vnto Contempt and that is to doe wrong in the highest degree But more distinctly As before you heard there was some thing common in the wrong and something proper so must you obserue the like in the contempt also To offend a man before his eyes is not only to wrong but also to contemne him take an example from your selues he that abuseth a mans wife doth him great wrong but if it bee done before the husbands face how much doth that scorne multiply the wrong there is much odds betweene a Seruants abusing his Master and abusing him to his face for this is not onely to displease but also to despise him If it bee so betweene man and man how much more betweene Man God That which is common to all wrong we may not denie vnto that wrong which we doe vnto God Especially if you consider the inequalitie of the eyes for as the eyes are so is the eye-sore Let a drunkard see one drunke and an adulterer one committing of adulterie though in cold blood out of some reliques of Conscience he will be moued yet nothing so much as he ought because the Obiects of his eyes are such as himselfe is But the eyes of a sober a chast man are affected with such spectacles answerably to their sobrietie and chastitie the more vertuous they are the greater impression of griefe doe these vices make in them And this leadeth vs to that which is proper vnto God in this Contempt doth aggrauate the same For there is an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Coram oculis tuis before thy Eyes And thy eyes implie three properties that are peculiar vnto God For His eyes are 1. most piercing 2. most pure 3. most powerfull Most piercing A man that breaketh wedlocke saith the Sonne of Sirach saith thus in his Heart chap 23. who seeth me I am compassed about with darknesse the walles couer me what need I feare such a man onely feareth the eyes of men and knoweth not that the eyes of the Lord are ten thousand times brighter then the Sunne beholding all the waies of Men and considering the most secret parts He knew all things or ere they were Created so also after they were perfected he looked vpon them all Psal 139. Dauid hath made a whole Psalme concerning this peircing Eye of God Saint Paul comprehendeth it in few words All thinges are naked before his eyes Heb. 4. 1. Sam. 16. And herein standeth the prerogatiue of Gods Eye aboue mans Man can see onely the Face God looketh on the Heart Man beholdeth the Operation Ruffinus God the verie Intention of the worke So that though Dauid committed this sinne in secret carried the matter as he thought very cunningly yet was God too sharpe sighted for him by Nathan brought to light what hee thought was hid in darkenesse and in vaine shall we affect these couerts we can neuer be out of Gods Sight The second prerogatiue of Gods Eye is that it is most pure it can abide no iniquitie Such as bee wicked cannot stand in his sight The best of men are compast with infirmities and though they bee not as bad as others yet it is possible they may be and this possibilitie may hold them in from being so censorious as otherwise they would they that brought the Adulteresse to Christ Iohn 8 when Christ bid Him of them which was without sinn to cast the first stone at her slunke away one by one and their owne guilt checked the forwardnesse of their Iudgement But God is as farre from the possibilitie as from the Act of sinne and therefore may his Holinesse make him more free in the abhorring of sinners The last prerogatiue is the Powerfulnesse of Gods Eye for it is the eye of a Iudge the Iudge of all the world a Iudge which is armed as well with power as right to take vengeance euen of the greatest Monarches in the world put the Case that all King Dauids Subiects had beene priuie to his fall yet had they no right to call him to an Account but God could doe what they could not his eye was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an eye that could take vengeance and chastise the King according to his deserts Lay now together all these prerogatiues of Gods Eyes and see how they exaggerate King Dauids contēpt It was great immodestie to sin before the eye in that it was so piercing an eye not to feare a witnes that was so through a witnes from whom he could not conceale any part of his fact nor the least circumstance that did cloath his fact greater immodestie to sinne before so pure an eye from which he could expect no extenuation of his fault because it was free from all communion in corruption it must needs as fully abhorre as it did throughly discerne the fault but the greatest immodestie was the sinning before so powerfull an eye the eye of his Lawgiuer before whom he was to appeare and from whom he was to expect his doome to be carelesse of such an Eye must needs bee the hight of Contempt for whom will hee regard that regardeth not his Iudge such a Iudge that hath so Piercing so Pure so Powerfull eyes The Eyes of the Iudge doe exaggerate the contempt so doth the enormitie of the sinne also for it is not onely Malum but Hoc Malum Sinnes are of diuers degrees some of Ignorance some of Infirmitie these men daily commit before the eyes of God and they ought daily to repent of them because they testifie their neglect of Gods Eyes but there are sinnes of a higher straine which men cōmit with a high hand the
with an old disease a disease which hee brought from his Parents loines and cannot be quiet except he be eased of that except that be healed also And our euill Deeds when wee bethinke our selues of them wil discouer their fountaine which is our euill nature neither haue we sufficiently searched into our selues vntill wee finde the euill Tree that beareth euill fruite the root of bitternes that fructifieth in all our euill Deeds This we must obserue by the way as a fit preface shewing the reason of this branch of King Dauids Confession Let vs now come closer to the Text and see what this sinne is which he acknowledged and that is a Natiue Corruption Iniquitie wherein man is shapen Sinne wherein his Mother conceiues him That you may the better conceiue this I must first remember you of certaine grounded truthes which giue light hereunto without which it cannot be easily conceiued The first is that in the Creation God put this difference betweene Angels and Men that Angels had their seuerall Creations not so Men but as Saint Paul teacheth Acts 17.26 God of one blood made all the nations of men that were vpon all the face of the whole earth he would haue them all propagated from one Secondly as all mankind is deriued from One so with that One God was pleased to enter into a couenant for All and All were liable vnto and to communicate in that which befell that One this is cleare in the Comparison which Saint Paul maketh betweene the First and Second Adam Rom. 5. Thirdly the first Adam failed in his obedience so forfeited that which was couenanted on Gods part was subiect vnto that which was deserued on his owne no man can doubt of this that reades the third of Genesis Fourthly by the tenour of the Couenant man failing wrapt all his Posterity in his transgression and condemnation Rom. 5.12 the Apostle is cleare for this also By one man Sin entred into the world and death by Sin so that by the Fall all mankind becomes first guiltie then punishable both these Euils doth Adam communicate vnto his Posteritie I must open the latter branch a little farther because it is most proper to my Text. The punishment then of Adams Guilt was the losse of Holinesse and Happinesse Holinesse wherein and Happinesse whereunto hee was created in the losse of Holines stands so much of Original sin as my Text doth occasion me to speake of The Fathers vse to expresse it by the Parable of the Man that passing froÌ„ Ierusalem to Iericho fell amongst theeues Luk. 10.30 who robbed him and wounding him left him halfe dead The Schooles abridge it thus Supernaturalia sunt ablata Naturalia sunt corrupta both which being discreetly vnderstood containe a sound truth which I expresse more plainely thus The losse of concreated Holinesse consisteth in a Priuation and a Deprauation Adam was depriued of the Image of God according to which hee was created they call it vsually Original Righteousnes and the Powers that remained after he was thus stript were miserably peruerted he became not only auerse from God but aduerse to him also Sinne is an Auersion from God and a Conuersion to the world or a forsaking of God and things eternall to imbrace the world and things temporall God left Adam in the hands of his owne councell to chuse whether hee would follow Rationem Superiorem or Inferiorem as the Schooles speake that is cleaue to God or to the World but with this condition that which way soeuer hee bent thither should his inclination bee for euer after he preferred Earth before Heauen and so his propension hath been euer since out of loue of this earth to make head against God and goodnesse so that his Deprauation is not only Physicall but Morall not only an Impotency vnto Good but an Opposition to it also his vnderstanding is not only blind but a Sophister his owne Iudgement is a snare whereby he entangleth himselfe in error his will is so farre from making a good choice Ambros. Gen. 6.7 Gen. 8.21 Rom 7.18 Ier. 17.9 Rom 6 6. Rom. 7.24 that it commands alwaies for that which is worst all his Affections distast and abhorre the good which they cannot rellish and therefore not ensue Finally the Flesh is become Illecebra peccati sinne needes no other bait then mans senfualitie All the frame of the Imaginations of the Heart of Man are euill only continually from his youth and in his flesh dwelles no good thing the hearâ— is deceitfull aboue all things and hee beareth about him a Body of sinne and death And this is that Massa Corruptionis and Perditionis that woefull Being whereunto sinne brought Adam Whereby you may perceiue that though he hath lost his Goodnes hee hath not lost his Actiuenes and though sinne be Non ens a Priuation yet it is in ente a Dreprauation also by reason wherof men that were reasonable Creatures by Nature yea and Spirituall also 1. Cur. 3.1 1. Câ—â— 2.14 are vouchsafed no better names in the state of Corruption then those of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sensuall and fleshly Men. Hauing thus opened the miserable case whereunto Adam brought himselfe it wil not be hard for you to vnderstand the words of my Text and acknowledge with King Dauid the Natiue Corruption of mankind or the Originall Sinne meant in this place First then the want of Originall Holinesse is in the Text called Iniquitie or Sinne and well may it so bee called for what is Sinne but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an Vnconformitie to Gods Lawes and how vnanswerable is his being herein vnto that state wherein he was made were he only vnanswerable it were Sinne how much more when he is opposite thereunto and is become a rebell vnto God can any thing in the reasonable soule be lesse then Sinne â—on 7. that tempts vnto sinne but Concupiscence is Domesticus Hostis a traitour in our bosome that doth seduce vs and whose Lusts doe sight against the Soule 1. Vet. 2.11 Neither only doth it tempt to sinne but produce sinne also Iam. 1.15 et simile producit sibi simile wee must needs make the Tree Euill that beareth such euill fruit Neither can it be excused seeing the Leauen of Concupiscence hath seasoned all the powers of the soule euen of the Reasonable soule and so maketh the whole man come short of fulfilling the Law Deut. 6.5 Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God with all thy Heart with all thy minde with all thy strength c. Ioyne that generall Precept Exod. 20.17 with the generall Prohibition Non Concupisces thou shalt not lust and by them measure the state of a naturall man and he must be verie senslesse that doth not acknowledge sin in this Corruption he must needs make the Habits of no other nature then are the Actions which proceed therefrom They that yeeld it to be Vitium but not
are forfeited but he to whom they are forfeited the Author of Nature must bee the Author of Grace And hee is so abundantly in our Sauiour Christ for in Him are all the treasures of wisedome and knowledge hid Colloss 2.3 in making him knowne hee maketh true Wisedome to bee knowne vnto vs. It is not in vaine that Dauid saith Thou Shalt make me know wisedome for though in Gods acts the Holy Ghost doth indifferently vse all times past present and to come because they are continuall yet it is not amisse to obserue that in this life we cannot haue so much grace but wee still want more therefore wee should not rest in the first fruits of the Spirit but bee still hungring and thirsting after righteousnes Mat. 5. and forgetting those things which are behinde bee still pressing forward in wisedome that we may be forward in Sincerity Marke that if you lay both these parts together the meanes of getting Sincerity to the regard that God yeelds to it it followeth fairely that whatsoeuer in vs pleaseth God is a guift that God bestoweth vpon vs neither indeed can any thing that commeth not from him bee acceptable vnto him so that wee may well pray with Saint Austin Da Domiue quodiubes iube quod vis Let it bee thy good pleasure O Lord by grace to enable me and then bee thy Commandement what it will it shall most readily be obserued by me Secondly Sincerity is not immediately from God hee worketh it by heauenly Wisedome neither may wee euer hope to be Sincere except wee first be wise if the Heart be nor first qualified the Reines will not be reformed The world hath yeelded too many smatterers in either of these but because they put asunder what God conioyned they haue beene good in neither Our Ancestours that liued vnder Poperie were good meaning men as they say of them and the Church of Rome did cherish in them good intentions but good indeed they could not be because they were misguided Wee are very inquisitiue after our Guide and God be thanked wee haue a good one and happily wee conferre often with him about a good course but here is our fault wee doe but conferre with him commit our selues to his guidance wee doe not wee entertaine not wisedome into the inward part therefore haue our inward parts little truth we are as foolishly wise as our Ancestours were falsly sincere It were to bee wished that we would ioyne both as King Dauid doth to be wise in the Hidden part that so our inward parts may be true especially when wee make our Atonement with God and humble our selues before him if euer then beg wisedome the wisedome of the heart which may wholy order our affections that our Repentance and our Confidence may both testifie that there is Truth in the inward parts The last thing that I obserued is that this Sincerity is remarkable wee are taught it in the first word Behold which word noteth both Veritatem Diuinam and Vtilitatem nostram the vndoubtednesse of these rules and the vse which we must make of them Ecce hoc patens est saith Ruffinus this is as cleare as the noone none but those that are blind can denie that God loueth Sincerity and that he giueth that wisedome from whence sincerity streams And as no man can doubt it so euery man must make vse of it euery man must desire this sincerity that so he may be acceptable to God euery man must desire to be furnished with wisedome from Heauen that he may be furnished with Sincerity We are by nature full of vanity and hypocrisie our corruption was displayed in the verse that goeth before but Contraria contrarijs illustrantur we cannot so well conceiue how bad we are as if we clearely see how good we should be when we obserue that God requireth Truth in our inward parts then may we perceiue how miserable wee are in being conceiued and borne in Sinne so the Ecce here giueth light to the Ecce that goeth before As this giueth light to that so that must be a whetstone to make vs to affect this And seeing God taketh all excuse from vs by making vs to know wisedome we must receiue wisedome into its proper seate that from thence it may produce this acceptable worke We must with Dauid be able to say Ecce Behold thou hast made mee to know wisedome in my hidden part that wee may also say Ecce Behold O Lord that Truth which thou desirest in my inward parts I conclude all Behold here the Doue and the Serpent which Christ commends for patterns to his Disciples wee must haue the simplicitie of the Doue and the wisedome of the Serpent Hee that can mixe the wisedome of the Serpent with the simplicitie of the Doue shall neither be sottishly sincere nor deceitfulluy wise GOD that searcheth the Hearts and Reines so qualifie both by his grace that being guided by him wee may be accepted of him accepted for wise sincerity and sincere Wisedome in the whole course of our life but specially when we turne to Him and turne from sinne with vnfained Repentance and assured Confidence AMEN PSAL. 51. VERS 7. Purge me with Hysope and I shall bee cleane Washmee and I shall bee whiter then snow KIng Dauid desirous to be restored vnto the state of Grace doth first lay open his owne wickednesse sincerely and then doth he sincerely lay hold vpon Gods goodnes Of the former you haue hitherto heard and are to heare of the latter hereafter In opening whereof you are to obserue how aptly the Remedy doth answer the Disease In the Disease wee found a double wickednesse one which King Dauid committed himselfe another which hee inherited from his Parents The Remedy cures both it cureth the wickednesse which King Dauid committed the Malignity the Impiety thereof the Impiety by Expiation in this seuenth Verse the Malignity by Consolation in the eight As it cureth the wickednesse which himselfe committed so doth it that which he inherited from his Parents that was a natiue Euill and the Remedie doth cure it as it is an euill in the ninth verse by forgiuing and as that euill commeth by nature the Remedie cureth it by Regeneration as we shall learne verse the tenth At this time I shall handle onely the first branch of the Cure the cure of the Impiety of that sinne which King Dauid himselfe contracted This I told you was done by Expiation or Purification for the better vnderstanding wherof we must guide our selues by a good rule of Saint Ambrose Benè Veteris Testamenti Sacramenta non euacuat et Mysteria Euangelica praeferenda docet These words are typicall therefore they haue a compound sense a Ceremoniall and a Morall Dauid acknowledgeth both true but withall teacheth in which standeth the greatest comfort The Ceremonial was not to be omitted because of Gods Ordinance but the Morall was principally to bee intended because that contained the Body whereof the
to cure with his Humility when he stooped vnto the ignominious death of the Crosse But it was not Hysop alone wherewith hee desired to be purged but Hysop dipt in the holy water and this doth intimate yet more fully that the expiation was to be made by Christ for to say nothing that the red Cow slaine whose blood was sprinkled directly before the Tabernacle was as all other sacrifices a Type of Christ those things that are principally to be marked in Christ were most liucly represented in the things that were burnt with the Cowe For there were to bee cast in Cedar wood Hysop and Scarlet The Cedar is the highest of all trees and well representeth the Deity of Christ 〈◊〉 4.33 Hysop in the History of Solomons knowledge in naturall things is opposed vnto the Cedar as the lowest of plants and may well note Christs Manhood the Scarlet is an excellent representation of his bloody death according to that in the Prophet Esay 〈◊〉 63.1 2. who is this that commeth from Edom with died garments from Bozra wherefore art thou red in thy apparell c. And indeed Christs blood is the Bath of purification it clenseth from all our sinnes if wee haue our hearts sprinkled therewith wee shall bee free from euill consciences Heb. 10.22 9 14 Zach. 13.1 our consciences shall bee freed from dead workes to serue the liuing God Finally his Spirit is that fountaine that is opened vnto the house of Israel Eâ—ek 36.25 and the cleane waters that in Ezekiel God promised to poure vpon his Church without Christ the vertue of his death and worke of his Spirit God purifieth no man The Heathen had their Aquam lustralem their holy water and so hath the Church of Rome also but the Heathen holy water had no respect vnto Christs blood the Romish would seeme to haue but sanctifying Ceremonies without Gods warrant are fruitles not only so but spirituall vsurpations If we expect purification from sinne wee must tye our selues vnto Christs death and not looke to partake the benefit of it but by such meanes as are ordained of God Mat. 15 9. for the Spirit breatheth where it will not where wee will so that in vaine shall we serue God if therein wee follow no better guide then the commandements of men And let this suffice touching the Person to whom King Dauid directs his Prayer Hauing thus seuerally considered What King Danid begs and Of whom by ioyning the points together wee must see with what confidence hee expects the successe of his Prayer The first point of confidence is implyed in the words purge wash for the Original hath it thou shalt purge thou shalt wash And indeed such future tenses are Propheticall wishes and why Faith in prayer hath an eye to Gods promise and therefore a hope of his performance 2 â—â—moth 2.12 and why God cannot deny himselfe hee euer will be as good as his word Numbers 19 hee commands the carnall purifying and promiseth the successe and shall hee deny successe vnto the spirituall if wee obserue it Certainly hee will not A second branch of Considence appeareth in the resolute affirmations I shall bee cleane I shall bee whiter then snow which import that as God will bee constant in keeping his word so hee will bee powerfull in accomplishing the deed no doubt of the Effect when hee is pleased to bee the Efficient 〈◊〉 19. Vos 1â— A cleane person saith the Ceremonie shall purge him that is vncleane and hee shall bee purified And who so cleane as God in comparison of whom the best of his creatures are vncleane If the carnall purification may be expected from a mortall man how much more may we expect the spirituall from our immortall God But marke here is not onely expected a freedome from sinne but also a furniture of grace not only innocency spirituall but Beauty also so saith Dauid I shall be cleane that is innocent yea I shall be white that is beautifull Parum est mundari a sordibus peccatorum Ruffin in huâ— locum nisi contingat decorari candore virtutum it is a cold comfort to bee freed from impurity except wee be beautified with sanctitie But where sinne abounded Rom. â— 20 grace abounded much more sinne stripped vs of our originall Righteousnes and wounded vs in our naturall power and grace doth not only heale vs againe but restore vs also to whatsoeuer we lost The same God that in the Law commanded that when a captiue Israelite was set free he should not goe away empty Detr 15.13 â— but be furnished liberally with whatsoeuer God had blest his Master is not fast handed towards vs when hee freeth vs from the death of sinne but adornes vs as beseemes the spouse of Christ White is the colour of Saints Mark 9.3 it appeares in the Transfiguration of Christ and in the apparitions of Angels in the Reuelation of Saint Iohn more then once as likewise in Daniel so that that phrase implyeth that the effect of Christs purifying is not onely Grace but Glory also yea vnspeakable Glory so the comparison will haue vs vnderstand it when Dauid saith that he shall be whiter then sâ—ow It was a gracious promise that was made Psal 68. though yee haue hen amongst the pots Vers 13. yet shall ye be as the wings of a Doue couered with siluer and her feathers with yellow gold yea when the Almighty scattered Kings for his Church shee was as white as snow in Salmon here Dauid goeth a step farther Vers 14. whiter then snow And indeed well may wee resemble spirituall things by corporall and eternall by temporall for that the one doth somewhat resemble the other but equall them we cannot we may not by reason of the many degrees wherby the corporall is exceeded by the spirituall and the temporall by the eternall I conclude Who can say I haue made my heart cleane I am free from sin Prou. 20. Lib. 1. c. 5. No man for Habet cor vniuscuiusque saith S. Austin in his Confessions quod offendat oculos Dominisscio fateor there is not the best of vs that hath not touched the dead that is not infected with dead works it beseemeth the best of vs to say with S. Austin scio fateor I know I acknowledge it but we must go on with S. Austin quis mundabit who shall make me cleane and resolue with him cui alteri praeter te Domine clamabo ab occultis munda me Domine Psal 19 12. O Lord I haue none to whom I may hopefully call but to thee Lord clense me from my secret faults or in the words of my Text Purge me with Hysop and I shall be cleane wash me and I shall bee whiter then snow AMEN GOd grant we may all so wash our garments white in the blood of the Lamb during these dayes of Grace that we may hereafter walk with him in white robes when we shal
repaire to him and none but he must be our Physitian He cureth but how Per auditum by the Eare. Wee haue two Rationall Senses and contentions haue beene made about their precedencie the bookes that are giuen vs to studie will easily resolue the doubt they are Gods workes and his words if the sight of his workes might haue recouered vs we should not haue needed the Preaching of his word but the infirmitie of the former is argued by the supply of the later and whatsoeuer Philosophie thinkes Diuinitie must hold that wee are beholding much more to our Eare then to our Eye for Sauing wisedome when I name the Eare I meane the bodily the Enthusiasts haue an Eare but it is onely for Gods spirit but we must haue an Eare for Gods ministers for ordinarily God dispenseth not the Comforter but by their ministerie Fead Iob. 33. And this is the highest commendation of sacred Orders and that which must worke the greatest reuerence of the people towards them for that God conueieth heauenly treasure by these earthen vessels 2. Cor. 4.7 and into their hands hath put the power of the Keyes yea to their tongues hath he in a maner tyed the efficacie of his word they bind and loose mens soules they open and shut vnto them the King dome of Heauen They doe it did I say rather God doth it by them so are we taught by my Text God must make Dauid to heare it is not enough that God send his word and great be the number of Preachers God must breath also with his spirit 1. Cor. 37. and when Paul hath planted and Apollo watered he must giue the increase Acts 16.14 if God doe not then open the Heart as hee did Lidia's we may be no better then Francis Spera whose bones being broken with the conscience of his sinne he could not be cured because the many exhortations that were giuen vnto him by the words of men could haue no entrance into his Heart there wanted there the spirit of grace therefore we must with Dauid begge that God would make vs heare But I hasten to the last point you haue heard who giues the Physicke you must heare what Hope there is that Dauids petition will succeed there appeareth good hope good hope in the phrase for it is not onely Supplicatorie but Assertorie I obserued the like vpon the former Verse I will not repeate it But there appeareth more hope in the contexture for there Dauid is confident that the medicine shall not bee applyed in vaine the bones that thou hast broken shall reioyce so it is in the Originall marke an excellent difference betweene Gods children and others Reprobates in such a case Optare possunt sperare non possunt they may wish themselues in a better case but they cannot hope for better but the children of God when their bodies are euen brought to the graue and their soules to the gates of hell yet will they trust in God and trust to see the louing kindnesse of God in the land of the liuing We doe not belieue that the Sunne hath lost his light though the skye be ouer-cast with clouds Read Psal 77. neither will we thinke that God hath forgotten to be gracious euen when hee layeth deadly strokes vpon vs. The Chaldee Paraphrase obserues not onely a Reall ioy of the broken bones but a Vocall also not onely shall our soules be comforted and our bodies with our soules but out of the sense hereof wee shall breake forth into the Praises of God we shall praise our God with ioyfull lips Finally marke the method the sorrow of the Inward man casteth the Outward into a Consumption so likewise the Outward shall partake of Consolation if so be Consolation by the Eare be distild into the Inward Caro vt Cor no lesse the flesh then the spirit being quickned shall reioyce in the liuing God I conclude all As we are all subiect vnto sinne so are we not free from the distresses of Conscience When we are put to it let vs heare what the Lord will say for he will speake peace vnto our soules if our sorrow be godly let vs not be without hope Blessed are they that mourne so for they shall be comforted let vs rest assured that though Wee sow in teares yet we shall reape in ioy the Lord will turne our captiuitie Psol 12â— he will sill our mouthes with laughter and our tongues with songs AMEN PSAL. 51. VERS 9. Hide thy face from my sinnes and blot out all mine iniquities THe remedie that King Dauid sought in this Penitentiall was answerable to his distresse That which distrest him was sinne whereof the onely remedie is grace The sinne as you haue oftentimes heard was two fold first that which himselfe committed and secondly that which hee inherited from his parents he seekes a remedy for both in Grace You haue heard that it yeeldeth a remedy for the sinne which himselfe committed for the Impietie thereof by Expiation and by Consolation for the Malignitie that is therein It followth that now you heare of the remedy which Grace doth yeeld to the sinne which he inherited from his parents that is a Natiue Euill we commonly call it Originall sinne Grace cureth this partly by Forgiuing and partly by Regenerating forgiuing of the sinne and regenerating of the sinner These two points are commonly knowne by the names the first of Iustification the second of Sanctification of Sanctification by regenerating our sinfull nature you shall heare in the next Verse on this Verse I must speake of Iustification from by Forgiuenesse of originall sinne To come to the breaking vp of the Text there is something therein implyed and something exprest that which is implyed is Gods Prouidence that which is exprest is Gods Indulgence of Gods Prouidence we haue here intimated two Acts his Eye seeth all things and all things are recorded by his Hand Did hee not See all things it were needlesse to pray Hide thy face and it were as needlesse to pray Blot out were not all things recorded by his Hand such prayers must needes presuppose those workes Besides this Prouidence of God so implyed the Text will teach vs the Indulgence of God which is here fairely exprest for the better vnderstanding whereof I will open vnto you first the suite that King Dauid maketh for it and then the possibilitie that there is of his obtaining it In the suite wee shall see how answerable his desire is vnto Gods worke Gods worke is to See and Record and his desire is that hee would not See hide thy face that he would cancell blot out But in the prayer we must more-ouer marke 1. to what 2. how farre he would haue his desire extend To what not to his person but to his sinnes hide thy face not from me but from my Sinnes blot out not mee but mine iniquities Hee restraineth then Gods acts to their proper obiect But hauing so restrained them he
that feared the Lord spake often one to another and the Lord hearkened and heard it and there was a booke of remembrance written before him for them that feared the Lord and thought vpon his name And that the bad pathes of men are also recorded Vers 4. wee read Deut 3. where God hauing reckoned vp diuers enormous sinnes speaketh passionately thus Is not this laid vp in store with mee and sealed vp amongst my treasures he alludeth to the manner of Kings whose Records were kept in their Treasure-houses as you may gather out of Ezra Cap. 5.17 where the Roles are said to bee kept where the treasures were laid vp in Babylon The vse of this note is made by the Wise man Cap. 1. Beware of murmuring which is vnprofitable refraine from backbiting we may adde from all manner of sin for there is no word so secret that shall goe for nought yea inquisition shall be made into the very thoughts of the vngodly God keepeth an exact Record of all These two acts of Gods Prouidence refute two Athiesticall Positions The first is their Tush Iob. 22.13.14 God seeth not is there vnderstanding in the Highest Eliphaz in Iob expresseth it most elegantly How doth God know can hee iudge through the darke clouds thicke clouds are a couering to him that hee seeth not hee walketh in the circuit of Heauen so would they put out but cannot that al-seeing Eye which they blaspheme The second Position refuted is Tush God careth not suppose that he seeth yet he careth not for the things below he leaueth euery man to shift for himselfe and they think that the memory of their liues doth not out-liue their breath they feare no reckoning so they blaspheme Gods all-recording Hand we shall doe well by acknowledgement of these two branches of Gods Prouidence to auoid these two rockes whereat many old I feare me new Atheists also doe dayly suffer shipwracke Hauing thus farre opened vnto you what is implyed in my Text I come now to open that which is exprest therein I told you it is Indulgence and touching it I obserued first the suit that is made for it wherin you may see that Dauid doth make the branches of his petition answerable to the branches of Gods Prouidence The first branch thereof is God seeth all and answerably to that doth King Dauid pray that God would hide his face and no maruell for God is a God of pure eyes Cap. 1.13 as Habakuk speaketh and can abide no iniquity therefore in whomsoeuer there is the conscience of sinne there must needs arise feare and shame when such a party is presented before God feare for his eyes are as flames of fire and sinners are but as dry stubble Moses in a penitentiall representation of the calamity of the Israelites in the Wildernesse Psal 90.8 Cap. 16.17.18 layeth this for the ground of it Thou hast set our iniquities before thee our secret sinnes in the light of thy countenance and in Ieremy thus speaketh the God of Israel Mine eyes are vpon all their wayes they are not hid from my face neither is their iniquity hid from mine eyes what followeth I will recompence their iniquity and their sinne double because they haue defiled my land c. reade the like Amos Cap. 8. Vers 7. The Lord hath sworne by the excellencie of Iacob c. And the Imprecation against Iudas is fearefull Psal 109.14 Let the iniquitie of his fathers bee remembred of the Lord c. As feare so also shame ariseth wee learne it of the same Prophet Ieremy by whom the Lord saith thus vnto Israel Cap. 2.22 Vers 26. Thy sinne is marked before mee c. hee addeth As the thiefe is ashamed when hee is found so is the house of Israel ashamed And indeed shame is an inseparable companion of the conscience of sin when it is arraigned before a Iudge wee see how Malefactors hang downe their heads and Children blush when they are taken in a fault seeing then there is such feare such shame that ariseth from our guiltinesse appearing before Gods eyes we cannot wonder that K. Dauid in his first desire doth deprecate the first act of Gods Prouidence and would haue him hide is face that so hee might stand boldly and cheerefully before God His second desire respects the second act of Gods Prouidence Deus notat omnia God keepeth a Record of all Dauid therefore desireth that God would raze his booke To open this desire wee must obserue that in the Scripture there is mention made of foure bookes which keepe the Records of finne The first is Gods Memory that is the most exact booke all things with all their circumstances are precisely set downe therein it is the expresse Image of his Omnisciencie of that booke I haue said enough before Lest the truth of that booke should be questioned God hath prouided three other bookes that are without exception which will iustifie his Record against the most wrangling sinner The first is our owne Conscience which shall accuse or excuse in the day when God shall iudge the secrets of men by Iesus Christ It is of this booke that Ieremy speaketh Rom. 2.16 The sinne of Iuda is written with a pen of iron Cap. 17.1 and with the point of a diamond it is grauen vpon the table of their heart by the Heart meaning the Conscience 1 〈◊〉 3.20 21. as Saint Iohn doth where withall he aduertiseth vs that this record in our bosome beareth witnesse to the record that is in Heauen If saith he our heart condemne vs God is greater then our heart and knoweth all things but God is not contented with one witnesse he hath a second and him without exception also that is our Bodies and Soules they euerie one retaine the staine of sinne when the act is past and gone and from this staine euery part and power receiues a new name our throates are called open sepulchres 〈◊〉 2.13 〈◊〉 2. 〈◊〉 ◠〈◊〉 30.3 〈◊〉 18. our lips poysonous Aspes our eyes are said to bee full of adulterie our hands bloudie our feete mischieuous our vnderstanding darknesse our Will peruersnesse finally our affections nothing else but impuritie A sinfull man is a spirituall Lazar and the leprosie wherwith he shall appeare will vndeniably proue what a life he hath led To these two God adds yet a third witnesse and that is a third Record The creatures which we abuse in sinning shall beare witnesse when wee are challenged for our sinne Cap. 17.1 The hornes of the altar saith Ieremit shall beare ingrauen the sinne of Israel The stones shall erie out of the wall and the beame out of the timber shall answere it Cap. 2.11 Cap. 5.3 saith Habakkuk your Gold and siluer is cankered saith Saint Iames and the rust of them shall witnesse against you nothing that we abuse be it meate drinke apparell goods or lands but retaines a stampe of our abuse it is
to Regeneration we must conceiue of it as of a cure that worketh out a deep rooted Corruption yea the termes of cleannes and rightnes must so be conceiued as that the cure doth not only worke out corruption but work in the contrary perfection as we see that the Eclipse of the moone is remedied by the imparting vnto it the brightnes of the sunne and the darkenes of the night by the succeeding of the day-light the winterly hue of the earth is exchanged for the flourishing of the spring and the weaknesse that wee seele being sicke by the vigour that we haue from health Euen so fareth it with our soules we put off the Old man by putting on the New and the root of Originall sin by being indued with Originall Righteousnes This being obserued concerning Regeneration in generall wee must now descend to the Regeneration of the parts in particular the first of which is the regeneration of the Heart it is here called Cleannesse I will not fall into the common place of the defiling Nature of sin I haue touched at it more then once on the former words of this Psalme I will keepe my selfe to that which is peculiar to this part I told you it is the soueraigne power of the reasonable soule and the first point wherein the soueraigntie appeares is that it doth Command now the blemishes of a commander are two 1. Folly and 2. Impotencie either he knoweth not what directions to giue them that are vnder him or else contrarie to his iudgement he is ouer-borne by his affections take an example of Solomon the father and Rehoboam the sonne Solomon was wise the wisest King that euer was and no wise King was euer more impotent in his affections as appeareth by his so doting on his heathenish wiues that to content them he entertained all kind of Idolatry the son of Solomon Rehoboam went as far in folly as his father in impotency the son of Syrach calls him the very foolishnesse of the people Ecclies 51. and well he deserued to be so called that forsooke the counsell of the Sages and listned vnto brainsicke youths and so lost ten Tribes of twelue In these two Kings we may behold the defects of our commanding parts for somtimes the iudgment of it is so weak that it misdeemes good for euill and euill for good light for darknesse and darkenesse for light and this error is predominant in those that are without the Church for of Infidels it is most true that they haue a foolish Heart Rom. 1. yea when they thinke they be most wise in their reasoning they shew themselues most foolish it were endlesse to descend to particulars if I should reckon no more then those which are toucht in the Scripture how much more if I should discouer it out of there owne writings there speculatiue learning their practicke their theologie their policy their ethicks their oeconomicks all are spiced with folly Though this folly be predominant in those without the Church yet is there more then a good deale of it within the Church also were there no other proofe contentious writings proclaime to the world that many beleeuers cum ratione insaniunt haue a crackt braine and weake iudgement working vpon false principles or working out such conclusions as will neuer spring from truth Folly is one defect of the commanding part but not the onely it hath another which is Impotencie though the iudgement doe not faile in setting the heart right yet the affections doe transport it that it cannot resolue right Video meliora proboque deterior a sequor wee know our duety oftner then wee can bee perswaded to doe it And this disease though it be in Infidels as the former verse doth witnesse and Saint Paul much more Rom. 1. saying that They detaine the truth of God in vnrighteousnesse and that though they haue no Law they are a Law vnto themselues yet is this disease more common in the Church whose sins spring more commonly from the impotency of their affections then from the ignorance of their iudgement as it is plaine by those that teach others but teach not themselues and commit those faults themselues which they condemne in others there are few reasonably bred that know not their Creed and the ten Commandements yet when they are put to a reall maintenance of their faith or obseruance of the Law who is hee that staggers not that yeelds not to his affections Well seeing these are the defects of the heart as it is a commanding part you easily conceiue what the cure thereof must be and what is the first property of a cleane heart it is the rectifying of it in regard of folly and impotencie the making of it first wise and vnderstanding the furnishing of it with good and sound Principles the knowledge of the good and acceptable will of God in a word a right iudgement in all things this S. Paul meaneth 〈◊〉 2.16 when hee saith We haue the mind of Christ so that bee the Scrpent neuer so crafty bee sinne neuer so sweetly sugered euill neuer so curiously blancht be the suggestions of our aduersary neuer so sophisticall yet shall wee not bee circumuented wee shall not be deceiued by it That our commanding part be so freed from folly is not enough it must bee freed from impotencie also wee must haue obedient and religious hearts Mat. 10.37 be as ready to doe as to know loue nothing in comparison of God and doing our duety not father mother brother sister wife c. yea we must deny them all Lâ—ke 14 16. I say too little Christ goeth farther we must hate them all if they be an impediment to our following of God and keeping of his commandements if we are so far masters of our selues as to make our affections conforme themselues vnto our iudgement then is the commanding part cured in regard of impotencie and so the commanding part so farre as it is rid of folly and impotencie is truely regenerate But there is in the soueraigne part besides the commanding power a seasoning power also and that must bee regenerated It seasons all our actions with vertue or vice according as it is good or ill As the knowledge of God is the regeneration of it as it is the commanding part so is the loue of God the regeneration of it as it is the seasoning part or rather the coniunction of the loue of God to the knowledge of God So that for a vertuous action wee must bee sani boni viri it must bee the worke of a well aduised and a well-affected man so that the latter part of regeneration is but a consequent vpon the former and the heart if it command well seasoneth well and seasoneth ill if it command ill according to the Commandement our workes doe proue either Vertues or Vices You haue heard what is the regeneration of the soueraigne power here is another power specified which is the actiue Nazianzene
is not the first time that we are beholding to Gods grace the very word Regeneration may teach we had this cleane heart and right spirit when we were first created for wee were created after Gods image sinne lost it grace restored it now you know that if a Tenant forfeit his Lease and a Land-lord after re-entry restore it to him againe this is a worke of his goodnesse which is more then a worke of his ability for many are able and doe it not therefore if any being able doe it the inducement is not his ability but his goodnesse the like must we conceiue of God it was his pittying mercie that imployed his almighty power to repaire what we had ruined to recouer what we had lost to restore what we had forfeited a cleane heart and a right spirit Finally both the creating and the renewing are actus continui workes that God neuer intermitteth otherwise we should quickly come to nothing or rather which is worse then nothing become fire-brands of hell for wee dayly forfeit by sin and God may daily take aduantage of our breach of his Couenant Adde hereunto that our Regeneration is not in facto but in fieri and therefore needeth a perpetuall influence and supportance for this cause though Dauid were now in the state of grace yet doth he begge grace of God though God had created in him a cleane heart yet doth he desire that God would create a cleane heart in him and though he bad renewed in him a right Spirit yet doth he pray that God would renew a right Spirit within him so doth he wisely prouide against forfeitures and religiously beg the increase of that which he had receiued But I conclude sicut rogauit Dauid it a debet vnusquisque nostrûm saith S. Hierom Dauids prayer is a praier that beseems vs all we all beare about vs a body of sin and we should all desire that it might be abolished We should indeed but who doth who doth enquire into the vncleannesse of his heart and the crookednesse of his spirit or who taketh notice whether there be in him at all any part of Regeneration nay who doth shew that there is any Nazianzene Oratione 43. writing de Encaeâ—ijs doth giue a good obseruation how a man should know whether his heart haue any part in this Creation or his spirit in this Renouation yesterday thou wert a time seruer to day thou art not ashamed of thy Sauiour Christ yesterday thou didst affect the praise of men to day thou settest more by an honest life yesterday thou wert delighted with vain spectacles to day thou art giuen to diuine meditations c. if thou find such a change Haec mutatio dextrae excelsi God hath put to his mercifull power to make thee a new man if it be otherwise with thee and the day following find thee as bad as thou wert the day before thou hast no part in Regeneration A fearfull case because the Psalmist mouing the question to God Psal 24. Who shall ascend into the mountaine of the Lord who shall stand in his holy place answers Euen he that hath innocent hands and a pure heart Wherfore be ye renewed in the spirit of your minds put on the New-Man Eph. 4.25 which after God is created in righteousnes true holines or because this is a worke too hard for any one of vs Let vs euery one pray with K. Dauid in this place Create in me a clean heart ô God renew a right spirit within me AMEN PSAL. 51. VERS 11. Cast mee not away from thy presence and take not thy holy Spirit from mee KIng Dauids desire set forth in the first part of this Psalme is that hee may be restored vnto and preserued in the state of grace How he desires to bee restored you haue hitherto seene you haue seene how hee sueth first in generall that Gods Mercie would relieue his Miserie Gods great mercy his deepe miserie Secondly in speciall how hee brancheth his owne sinne and Gods grace hee confesseth sinne which himselfe committed and that which he inherited from his parents and hee beggeth a two-fold grace that the cure may be proper to each kind of sinne finally he would not haue a plaister narrower then his sore nor a medicine that could not throughly remedy his disease Thus he desires to be restored But to be restored is not enough a Penitents desire must carrie him farther for how shall it appeare that hee doth vnfainedly sorrow for sinne and affect goodnesse except he be as desirous to continue in as to bee brought vnto the state of grace 〈◊〉 Pet. 2. Nay Saint Peter will tell vs that it were better neuer to haue knowne the way of righteousnesse then after wee haue knowne it to returne like dogges to our vomit and like swine to our wallowing in the myre Wherefore the second desire was necessarie for King Dauid and must bee exemplarie vnto vs. Let vs come then to it It is set downe in this and the following Verse and conceiued in a double prayer first in deprecation and secondly in supplication a prayer against that which King Dauid deserued and a prayer for that without which King Dauid could not perseuere we will meddle now onely with the former prayer But in the passage I may not forget a good note of Saint Bernards where he commends King Dauids method Serm. 3. de Penticost and obserues that after hee hath prayed Create in me a cleane heart O Lord renew a right spirit within me he prayeth seasonably Cast me not away from thy presence and take not thy holy spirit from me When we offend we fall into sinne and out of fauour and when we repent wee must not desire to be receiued into fauour vntill we are first acquitted from sinne otherwise wee shall betray that we wish there were no Sanction of the Law but as for the transgression of the Law we are not much moued therwith wheras the least sinne must be more irkesome to a repenting soule then the most grieuous punishment But let vs breake vp this prayer wherein I will note two things 1. the Manner and 2. the Matter the manner is a prayer against the matter is that which King Dauid deserued Now that which he deserued comprehends two fearefull iudgements 1. Reiection and 2. Depriuation I will cleare these two tearmes vnto you While we are in the state of grace wee haue communion with God and God hath communion with vs God receiueth vs into his family and we attend him we weare his liuerie and are knowne to belong vnto him the first giueth vs free accesse vnto his presence and the second is a participation of his holy spirit Sinne as much as lieth in it dissolues both these communions for we deserue by it first that God discharge vs of his seruice giue vs no longer place in his family which is that which I called Reiection Secondly we deserue that God take from
wee reade sometime Vias the wayes of the Lord and wee reade sometimes Via because the Charitie is alwayes but one and we should haue such grace as may answere all occasions neither is it true regenerating grace that is vnprepared for any alteration that can beare prosperitie but not aduersitie that can conuerse with God but not with men that can not bee militant as well as triumphant This propertie is a good toueh stone for euery man to trie his grace thereby But to leaue the Lesson and come to the Teaching The way is such as no man can goe without a guide and no maruell for no man euer went it twice no man euer passed from Earth to Heauen and being there came downe to the earth to returne to heauen againe haply if he did he might haue remembred the way and so goe it the second time without a guide but God alloweth not a second iourney to heauen therefore is euerie man a stranger in this way whereupon it must needes follow that euerie man doth need a guide or else he cannot be sure that he goeth a right especially seeing the way he must goe is bee set on either side with so many broad but mis-leading pathes Teaching then is necessarie for those that meane to goe the way Hauing thus in a generalitie shewed you the meanes that is vsed wee must now distinctly consider Quis Quos who is the Master Ego â—ocebo King Dauid saith he will take vpon him to be the master But King Dauid must be considered as a newly conuerted Paenitentiarie as one restored vnto and established in the state of grace he had plucked out the beame out of his owne eye before hee offered to plucke the moates out of his brothers eye hee was illightned himselfe before he offered to illighten others and he would not purge others before hee was purged himselfe Grat. 1. Nazianzene hath a good rule Cauendum est ne admirandae virtutis malipictores simus we must take heede that we blurre not the vertue which we desire to limme A man that goeth about to teach another the wayes of God is by that father resembled vnto a Painter that draweth Gods Image vpon his brother now he accounts him a good Painter that is himselfe a good patterne of the virtue that he doth teach but hee is but a bad Painter that blotteth out with his life what hee Painteth with his tongue who may bee cast off with that scornefull Medice cur a teipsum who will beleeue him whose deedes discredit his words Dauid was not such a Painter he taught not others before he had learned himselfe But how did he teach Two wayes exemplo verbo his very case was a good Sermon a Sermon of the wayes of God of his way of Iustice of his way of Mercie Dauid was a monument of both A monument of Gods iustice who though he were a man after Gods owne heart yet did God not suffer his sinnes vncorrected A monument of Gods mercie for though his sinnes were very grieuous yet vpon his vnfeined repentance they were graciously pardoned So did he teach by his example teach men not to presume because in him they may see God is iust teach them not to despaire because in him they may perceiue that God is exceeding mercifull As he teacheth by example so doth hee by his word also witnesse this Psalme wherein he taught the Church in his time teacheth vs now and shall teach men vntill the worlds end for what is the contents thereof but this Come vnto me hearken vnto me I will shew you I will teach you what God hath done and for my soule Adde hereunto that Dauid was a King and his care that hee voweth may goe for a teaching for Kings communicate in the name of Pastors in the Scriptures they are more then once called by the name of Shepheards and Constantine the Emperour said well that Kings were Episcopi ad extra they haue a kind of Bishopricke and must be carefull of the ghostly wel-fare of their charge But we may not mistake Dauid did not take vpon him the Priest-hood as Vzziah his successor did and was plagued for doing it he kept himselfe within his bounds hee did but that which all that are trusted with Ciuill Authoritie are bound to doe except what in this kind he did as a Penitent or as a Prophet and his example is a good admonition for of all his ranke all in his case yea it may admonish all It was Caines voice that said Numquid ego sum custos fratris Am I my Brothers keeper Yea God hath giuen saith the Sonne of Syrack a charge vnto euery man concerning his brother The law will not suffer a man to neglect his brothers Oxe or his Asse going astray or sinking vnâ—â—â—â— his burden hath God care of Oxen or doth he not intimate thereâ—â— how much more wee must care for the master of those beastes It is the propertie of good men that the good which they receiue from God they dispense to others and are as carefull of other mens saluation as of their owne according to the rule Thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe We haue found the Master Let vs now seeke out the Schollers wee find them here to bee Transgressors Sinners an vntoward subiect you would thinke for a Master to worke vpon to tame such head-strong Colts and bring such persons to a better course and yet nihil aptius nihil acceptius no Schollers are more fit to be vndertaken by such a Master and such a Master cannot better please the Master of Masters that is God then by vndertaking of such Schollers vndertaking to teach transgressors and sinners to teach them Gods wayes that haue gone farthest our of the way for such must you vnderstand by these words It is euerie mans worke to set them forward that are in the way to teach the righteous it is a harder taske to fetch them in that are gone out and such a Master must put himselfe to the hardest taske A Souldier that hath plaid the coward cannot recouer the reputation of a valiant man by aduenturing no farther then ordinarie Souldiers but by vndertaking some dangerous assault or trying his valour vpon an enemie of note and no teaching is worthy of a conuert but the teaching of those that are much auerse for how should hee shew that he doth throughly detest sinne that hauing rooted it out of himselfe can indure it in another No his owne passion will fill him with compassion the remembrance of the losse which himselfe sustained of the smart which himselfe hath felt the experience I say of this double euill will not suffer him to stand as an idle spectator while the spirituall thiefe the murderer doth spoyle doth slaughter others he will be aiding to such forlorne ones with his best with his readiest succour Adde hereunto that they that are conuerted were corrupters while they were in the state of sinne they led many out
of the way and who doth it be seeme better to be stir themselues for the recouerie of sinners then they by whom many haue beene made sinners It is fit that by this care they doe redeeme that fault surely Diues in hell shewed a desire of such a thing when he praied Abraham to send teachers to his brethren who might reclaime them before they came to hell it implieth a sorrow though a fruitlesse one which he had for that hee had corrupted them and he is worse then Diues who being conscious to himselfe that he hath beene an instrument of mis-leading others doth not desire to conuert at least as many as he hath corrupted As there is nothing fitter for such a Master then the dealing with such Schollers so there is nothing wherein hee can better please his Master God thâ—n by taking pâ—ines with such Schollers God is compared vnto an Husbandman all the world is his Farme now you know a good Farmer that hath many pâ—â—cels of ground ouer growne with Bryars and Thornes taketh great comfort to see them grubbed vp and the ground made good Pasture or Arable euen so God who would haue all men â—aued and come to the knowledge of his truth is well pleased with their paâ—ines that are instruments thereof yeâ— therefore doth he conuert some that by them hee may conuertothers you may gatâ—er it out of Christs words to Saint Peter 〈…〉 â—2 I haue prayed for thee that thy faith should not faile Tuantem conuersuâ— confirmafratres When thou art conuerted streng then thy brethren 〈…〉 This lessen is excellently shadowed in a vision of Ezekiels where the waters running from the Sanctuarie into the dead Sea healed it and presently vpon the bankes grew vp 〈◊〉 of life of which we read in the Reuâ—lat on 〈…〉 that their leaues were for the healing of the Nations And indeed all the famous Conuerts that we read of â—aue euer thought they could not dee God better seruice I will instance but in two Saint Paul and Saint Austin Saint Paul had beene a persecutor a blasphemer hee obtained mercie and God put him into the Ministerie that as his eyes were opened so he might open the eyes of others and what paines did he take 〈…〉 Becomming all to all that hee might winne some to Christ Saint Austins confessions shew what his first life was how sicke he was in Head and Heart in faith and life and his Workes doe shew how carefull he was after God gaue him the light of his truth and feare of his name to reforme others Epicâ—res and Heretickes and worke into them a true knowledge and â—eruent loue of God I conclude this point As many of vs as find grace at any time must after the Patterne of King Dauid labour to present some Conuert sinner as an Eucharisticall sacrifice vnto God And let this suffice for the vnfolding of the meanes that this King doth vse I come now to the successe which is hoped for which is a Conuersion Conuersion is not a locall motion but a morall change the making of vs of old new men a metamorphiâ—ing as Saint Paul calleth it a changing of vs into a new Image But the nature of this Conuersion will better appeare if I first vnfold vnto you the two termes Vnde Quo from Whence and to Whome sinners are conuerted From whence you cannot better learne then by their names they are called transgressors such as leaue Gods wayes to follow their owne the deuices of their owne braine the desires of their owne heart God made man saith the Scripture after his owne Image but the Image of God in man was much like the Image of the Sunne in the Moone so long as the Moone is in opposition to the Sunne we see what a goodly light body it hath no sooner doth it diuert to either side but it soone loseth its light euen so a man keeping himselfe towards God receiueth an impression of his sacred Image which vanisheth when he turneth himselfe from God Yea you see daily that when you walke in the Sunne if your face be toward it you haue nothing before you but bright shining light and comfortable heat turne your backe to the Sunne and what haue you before you but a shadow And what is a shadow but the priuation of the light and heate of the Sunne Yea it is but to behold your owne shadow that you defraud your selfe of the other for there is no true wisdome no true happinesse but onely in beholding the countenance of God looke from that and we loose these blessings and what shall wee gaine A shadow an emptie Image insteade of a substantiall to gaine an emptie Image of our selues we loose the solid Image of God and yet this is the common folly of the world men preferre this shadow before that substance When we are willed to turne we must remember that wee are auerse from God when we goe our owne wayes we turne our backes to God as the Scripture teacheth euerie of our wayes goeth from him and when we Conuert we must turne from our owne wayes our euill wayes for such are all ours we must cast away the workes of darknesse put off the old man so the Scripture varieth the phrase of conuersion But there are three conditions that must be obserued in our Conuersion First Eack 18. it must be ab omnibus vijs malis God loueth not mungrels if a man haue beene a Drunkard an Adulterer a Swearer hee may not leaue his drunkennesse and retaine his swearing leaue swearing and follow whooring therefore Moses tels the Israelites that they must returne to God toto corde with their whole heart A second condition is deliuered by Esay Deut. 23. c. 31 6. Conuertimini sicut in profundum recessistis looke how profoundly wee entertaine sinne so deepe must our conuersion goe wee must search our wounds to the very bottome we must leaue no creeke vnaltered it must bee verum Cor our inside must be like our outside so saith S. Paul Heb. 10.22 Thirdly our conuersion must be constant wee must not bee like vnto Lots wise whose feet caried her from Sodome and her eyes were backe vpon it that will argue that we repent of our resolution and that we can easily be perswaded to become againe what we were before This is the first branch of Conuersion we must if we returne so remooue iniquitie farre from our Tabernacle yea from our selues The next branch is to whom we must returne If you will returne returne vnto me saith God in the Prophet many doe returne but it is from one vanity to another such a turning as Salomon describeth in Ecclesiastes and there are examples euery where many of prodigall turne couetous and of profuse become base many a Stoicke turneth Epicure and of senslesse becommeth shamelesse many an Atheist turneth superstitious and as if he did repent that he had beene long without a God maketh his fancie the forge
2. the Method There is a Mystery in either of them Rom. 6. In the Sacrifice That teacheth that the wages of sinne is death the innocent beast was slaine but the sinner first put his hands vpon him to note what we deserue and Christ endured for vs from the guilt of our sinnes we are not freed but by the vertue of his death The Mysterie of the Burnt offering is wee owe our selues wholly vnto God and to him must wee giue our selues but first wee must be mortified we cannot ascend in our thoughts vnto Heauen except we mortifie our carnall lusts that grouell vpon the earth To note this mortification and viuification of our selues intire mortification intire viuification which leaueth no hold vnto sinne in any part of our body or power of our soule and which withholds no part or power of either from the seruice of God and which withholds no part or power of either from the seruice of God was the Holocaust soe handled as wee read in the Law first slaine then wholly consumed by fire Besides the Mysterie there is a Method to be obserued in these words K. Dauid doth not only expresse them but digest them digest them according to the prescript of the Law when they were both offered the Sacrifice was presented before the Burnt offering The Morall thereof is very good Wee cannot haue the honour to serue God Prouerb 31.27 except wee first find fauour to be discharged of our sinnes the Sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination vnto the Lord and without holinesse it is impossible for a man to please God therefore we must offer our expiatory Sacrifice before our Dedicatory burnt offering wee must make our peace with God before we presume to come into his presence Finally we must take good heed that wee neither maine the parts of our Reconciliation nor peruert their order Maine them we doe if we offer the Sacrifice but withhold the burnt offering desire remission of our sinnes and take no care to become the seruants of God Or if wee offer the burnt offering and withhold the Sacrifice put our selues into the seruice of God but yet doe cherish a root of bitternesse in our hearts doe not vnburthen our consciences of sinne And how few are there that thus fully reconcile themselues to God and ioyne together both these Offerings Some can be contented to be rid of the vncleane Spirit and haue their house swept and garnished but they keepe it emptie and vnimployed entertaine not God neither doe they deuote themselues vnto his seruice Othersome are contented that God shall dwell in them and they will be his Temple but they will haue this Temple to bee also an House of Merchandise a Denne of thieues a very Synagogue of Satan So doe men maime their Reconciliation they are loath to be wholly reconciled vnto God As we must not maime our Reconciliation so we must not peruert the parts thereof the burnt offering must not goe before the Sacrifice neither must wee dedicate our selues to God before wee are cleansed from our sinnes that were to put new wine into old bottels Marke 2 2â— new cloth into an old garment which if we doe Christ tels vs in the Gospell what will become of it the bottels will breake and the garment will rent and grace will neuer abide in a sinfull soule hee will quickly returne like a dogge to his vomit and a Swine to wallow in the myre We must be new creatures or else neuer let vs offer to be the seruants of God And let this suffice for opening of the two branches of the ceremoniall worships I come now to consider Gods disposition towards them and that is twofold He doth not desire them he doth not delight in them Of the words Desire and Delight though one bee ioyned to Sacrifice and the other to Burnt offering yet doe they both reach either of them and doe oftentimes signifie the same thing but yet here they doe not so I difference them and I did it by warrant of the Scripture which obserues two parts of Gods disposition before these things are offered God doth not desire them that is he hath giuen no precept concerning them God speaketh it plaine in Ieremy Chap 7 2. Put your burnt offering vnto your sacrifice and eat flesh for I spake not vnto your fathers nor commanded them in the day when I brought them out of the Land of Egypt concerning burnt offerings and sacrifices Psal 40 And the Psalmist Sacrifice and offerings thou diddest not desire burnt offerings and sinne-offerings hast thou not required In the fiftieth Psalme there is a plaine deniall of them I will not reproue thee for thy sacrifices or thy burnt offerings because they haue not beene before me I will take no bullocke out of thy house nor hee goate out of thy fold These places doe iustifie the words of my text and shew plainly that God did not desire them before they were offered hee gaue no precept concerning them And as no Precept so no Promise hee did as little delight in them after they were offered as he did desire them before they were offered reade it in Ieremie Chap. 6. To what purpose commeth there vnto mee Incense from Saba and the sweet Cane from a farre country your burnt offerings are not acceptable Chap. 10. c. In Esay God doth passionately amplifie this poynt Heare the Word of the Lord yee Rulers of Sodome giue eare vnto the Law of our God yee people of Gomorrah to what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices vnto me saith the Lord I am full of the burnt offerings of Rams and the fat of fed beasts I delight not in the blood of bullocks of lambs Chap. 66. and of the goats c. and elsewhere He that killeth an Oxe is as if he slew a man he that sacrificeth a lamb is as if he cut off a dogs necke he that offereth an oblation as if he offered Swines blood he that offereth incense is as if he blest an Idoll Chap 5. Chap. 5. You may reade the like in Micah and Amos so that bee they part sacrifices be they whole sacrifices be they Expiatory or be they dedicatory God doth not require them God delighteth not in them there is no precept that requireth their performance there is no promise that doth warrant their acceptance And indeed though Desire and Delight or Precept and Promise are differenced as I haue shewed you yet haue they a dependencie the one vpon the other for therefore doth not God delight in these things when they are offered because he did not desire that they should be offered vnto him for promise of acceptance depends vpon the precept of offering whereof there is a precept thereunto there is anext a promise and a promise doth presuppose a precept in all the seruice of God proue one and conclude both and you ouerthrow both if you can iustly denie either So that
will not despise that in the word there is a Litote there is more meant then is exprest for the Holy Ghost meaneth that this morall seruice doth speed of both the effects of Sacrifices it yeeldeth a sweet sauour vnto God and he doth gratiously accept it it proueth a sauour of rest into man and his soule doth feele the comfort of it Finally out of the maine branches of the text wee will draw two Paradoxes First A broken and contrite heart are Gods Sacrifices therfore this is a Religious man-slaughter Secondly God doth not despise a broken and a contrite heart therefore God is neuer better pleased with vs then when we are least pleased with our selues You heare whereof I shall speake that you may learne to serue God truely by that which shall bee spoken listen to it diligently and with a religious eare Before I fall vpon the particulars I may not omit to shew you the coherence of this verse to the former the former did shew of how little worth Ceremoniall worship is this sheweth the great worth of the morall And well is this clause added vnto that for it is not enough to know what we must not doe in Gods seruice our chiefe care must be to know what we must doe what good will it doe mee to know that Turkes Iewes Infidels worship they know not what they know not how it must be my comfort to know the true God to know how to worship him as I ought The ground is cleare Negatiues are but to attend Affirmatiues and God doth not reward the forbearance of euill but the doing of Good forbearance doth hold backe the impediments that would hinder vs in our way but wee must not only auoid them but also goe the right way if wee will come to our iourneys end In a word our abilities are bestowed vpon vs not only to decline euill but also to doe good But to the Text. The first thing that I obserued was wherin morall seruice stands it stands in the humiliation of the inward man the inward man is here pointed out by two names the spirit and the heart How these words differ all are not agreed vpon a former verse I haue said something of them but in this place I thinke they note one and the selfe same reasonable soule as it vndergoeth a diuers consideration It hath a prerogatiue aboue the soule of a beast in that it can subsist though it be seuered from the body and so it commeth neere vnto the nature of Angels and with them communicateth in the name of Spirit which is a substance endued with vnderstanding and will But besides this separate Being it hath another which you may call coniunct it inhabiteth in and manifesteth it selfe by the body quickning and guiding our senses and our affections hence it is denominated from the body from the principall parts wherein it doth reside from none so often and so aptly as from the Heart which is the the principall seate thereof Neither is it without cause that the reasonable soule is remembred vnder both these names the Holy Ghost thereby giuing vs to vnderstand that whether we consider the powers of the soule inorganically as vnder the name of Spirit or else Organically as vnder the name of Heart either way considered they must be humbled wee must humble no lesse the superiour then the inferiour faculties of our soule for sinne hath infected both A second thing that wee must marke is that in our seruice God calleth not for Nostra but Nos not our Goods but our selues and to this end did hee command the people to put their hands vpon the Sacrifices to signifie whom it did represent and to accompany the Offering of the sacrifice with a zealous deuotion to testifie that themselues were to haue a feeling of that for which the beast was offered And indeed it was fit that he should offer himselfe that had offended that hee might feare to offend when hee saw that hee must smart if a beast onely should die and the paine there of might rid a sinner of his guilt few would forbeare sinne if any thing make them feare it is this that they must beare the burden of sinne themselues Secondly as wee must offer our selues so that which of our selues wee must offer is the better part our Spirit our Heart In all the Legall Sacrifices God reserued the Inwards to himselfe his meaning was to point out the parts which he desireth in vs hee desireth our Inwards they must be presented in our Sacrifice 1 Tim. 4.8 the Apostles rule is bodily exercise profiteth litle certainly very litle of it selfe it hath all his commendations from the Heart and the Spirit But there are two distinct reasons why these parts are principally required in morall seruice the first is because they are freest from hypocrisie Ier. 3.10 God cannot endure that we should turne vnto him in mendacio dissemblingly Now Simulation and Dissimulation are manifest in our body for we can personate therein whom we will we may so bee mask't as that no body shal know who we are but in the inward man we are our selues wee can there seeme no better nor no worse then we are there doth God behold vs and hee doth iudge of vs thereby A Second reason is the preualencie of those parts they haue the greatest hand in our sinne and must beare the greatest part in our repentance other parts and powers partake of sinne but by contagion which they contract by their attendance vpon the Spirit and the Heart attend then they must in repentance but the principall penitents must be the Heart and the Spirit vpon whom they attend But enough of the parts which must bee humbled Let vs now come to the humiliation of those parts they must be broken they must be contrite Betweene these wordes there is no great difference for Contrition is a breaking very small and the breaking here meant is a shiuering the English to shiuer commeth from the Hebrew here vsed which is Shauar and you know that to shiuer a thing is to breake it all to pieces Or if you will put a difference betweene the wordes then the first may note the beginning and the other the consummating of this humiliation as you know a thing may be first grosse bruised and that is breaking and then it may bee pounded all to pouder and that is the contrition of it But how doe these words agree with the former by the Heart and the Spirit you vnderstood the reasonable soule and hath the soule any parts can that bee turned into dust Surely no therefore these words are figuratiue they are resemblances borrowed from corporall things which doe most liuely set before vs the humiliation that is spirituall But it is a question whence these wordes are borrowed some fetch them from husbandry some from masonry either of them hath a faire ground in the Scripture They that fetch it from Husbandry for Ieremie and Hosea speake of
breaking vp the fallow ground of our hearts Ier. 4.3 Hosea 10.12 that they may bee sowen Now you know that they that breake vp their grounds vse the Plough and the Harrow the Plough turneth vp the ground in great clods that is the first breaking of it then commeth the Harrow and turneth those clods into dust that is the second breaking of it and so these two breakings represent corporally what you must spiritually obserue in a broken and contrite heart The very same may fitly bee represented by the second resemblance that is taken from Masonry the Scripture doth often tell vs that sinners haue stony hearts and therefore they must be broken that they may be made fleshy hearts as tender and soft as flesh Now you know that when a Mason or Plaisterer will worke a rough stone into all kinde of shapes at his pleasure he first breaketh him being calcined or otherwise prepared all to pieces and then those pieces he poundeth into dust then that dust with liquor he can worke into a soft substance which will receiue any shape according to the fancy of the Plaisterer Euen so must the Heart and Spirit of a man be hammered by Gods Word Ierem. 23.9 broken and broken againe that so it may be made plyable vnto the wil of God These be faire resemblances and I might insist vpon them and by them illustrate the humiliation of a sinner but I choose rather the resemblance that offereth it selfe in my Text and that is contained in the word Sacrifices In the Temple or Tabernacle there were two Altars one of burnt sacrifice another of Incense the sacrifice of either will fit our purpose That of incense Exod. 30. where God telleth expresly of what spices the perfume should be made he addeth these wordes thou shalt beate some of it very small and put it before the testimony in the Tabernacle of the congregation where I will meete with thee The resemblance is very fit But it is fitter if we take it from the other Altar and indeed it is fit we take it thence for though my text be true of all morall seruice God requireth it God delighteth in it as might bee shewed at large if the time would permit and it were to my purpose yet now haue I to doe with no more then concerneth King Dauids case the reconciliation of a Penitent so much morall worship as answereth to burnt offering and sacrifice whereof you heard in the verse going before now they did belong to the Altar of burnt offerings wherefore there will wee seâ—ke and wee shall find our resemblance For the sacrifices were first cut in pieces that was their breaking secondly being so broken they were burnt into ashes that was a contrition of them a contrition and a breaking which doth most liuely represent the breaking and contrition required in Repentance Looke backe vpon them The Priest that did cut the sacrifice in pieces did as the Iewish Rituals obserue not mangle but ioynt the parts and what should wee doe in our Repentance but orderly take asunder and in our meditations view apart the seuerall powers that are in our soule and not mingle the vnderstanding and the will but seeing each hath his owne defects we must feelingly consider the seuerall defects that are in each power And this is the breaking of the Heart and the Spirit But the parts of the Sacrifice were not onely broken but they were brought to the fire and there they were burnt to ashes and it is not enough for vs in grosse to obserue the defects of the seuerall powers that are in our soule we shall find them intricate and a very Labyrinth wee must hunt out euery lurking sinne and euery particle must beare a part in this humiliation the fire of spirituall affliction must pierce euen vnto the least iot of that which doth partake of corruption otherwise our Heart and Spirit are not as they ought broken and contrite Saint Ambrose conceiueth that these words are meant of Christ And indeed he that doth but read the 53. of Esay which is often alleadged by the Apostles especially Saint Peter shall finde that Christ had a broken and contrite Heart and Spirit indeed the Euangelists doe expresse it in significant words Luke 22 44. Math. 26.38 Mark 14.33 hee was in an agony his soule was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 on euery side encompassed with heauinesse euen vnto death he began 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be euen astonished 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to droope to become euen heartlesse the Sacrament what is it but a representation of the humiliation of our Sauiour Christ not in conscience of his owne sinne but for expiation of our pride was Christ pleased to be humbled not onely in body but in soule also And to him must we be conformed for he is the best patterne of a broken and contrite Spirit But marke in these words broken and contrite that euery kind of concussion is not a poenitentiall humiliation Iam 2.19 for the Diuels they feare and tremble when they remember in what case they stand Act. 24.25 and so did Felix tremble when Saint Paul preached of the iudgement to come and how was Pharaoh shaken when he was vnder the plagues of Egypt Daniel 5. Baltazar quiuered and his knees smote together when he saw the hand-writing but their hearts and spirits were made of tough mettall not one of them brake or was contrite but after Gods hand was off they continued whole and wholly the same persons And so if wee doe and it is too common for vs to doe so crie we out neuer so much I haue sinned and God be mercifull vnto me in our danger be it what it may be wee are not humbled as the morall seruice of God requireth As we wound our soules so must we be contented to search those wounds and least they fester Ier. 23.9 Habak 3 16. search them to the bottome we must be contented as throughly to grieue for sinne as to take delight therein But a little farther to wade into this point There are two kinds of Griefe that the Schooles speake of Appretiativus and Intensivus they apply it somwhat vntowardly but here wee may make a good vse of it for our spirituall humiliation must testistifie first at what rate wee doe set the fauour of God and hauing no better thing to wreck our displeasure vpon for the losse therof then our Heart and Spirit we vse them so roughly and choose them for the subiect of humiliation Secondly the breaking and contrition of heart and spirit doe shew that our sorrow is as intensiue as it is appretiatiue as the thing is most deare vnto vs which we afflict so there can be no deeper wounds giuen then those wherwith we afflict it But sorrow is not enough vnto humiliation there are two other things that must goe therewith and are very clearly insinuated in this manner of breaking and contriting our Heart The first is
the detestation of sin committed for how can a man more clearely expresse that he doth abhorre his own wickednesse then by so breaking and afflicting of his owne both Heart and Spirit if he make them suffer for it it is an vndoubted signe that hee doth detest it A second thing required is that a man returne to God and that also is insinuated in a broken and contrite heart for seeing it is the hardnesse of heart that did shut God out what is the breaking of the heart but the letting of him in Yea this breaking and contrition being borrowed from the Sacrifice there was no incensio sine ascensione as the corporall so the spirituall fire doth not burne but it doth ascend therefore fitly doth the Holy Ghost call the Altar vpon which the Sacrifices were offered Misbach Gnoloth the Altar of Ascensions that is the Altar of burnt Sacrifices that doe ascend because all such morall worship imports a mans religious disposition to be reconciled vnto God Hitherto we haue spoken of the humiliation of a broken and contrite heart but we haue spoken nothing of the workemaster who it is that can so humble both the Heart and Spirit Hee seemeth not here to be exprest and yet it is fit he be knowen and if we enquire we shall find that there is a double Author The principall one is God It is a good Rule of Saint Austins De fide ad Petr. c. 31. firmiter tene neminem hic posse paenitentiam agere nisi quem Deus illuminauerit gratuità misericordià conuerterit Saint Paul warranteth this Rule the seruant of the Lord must in meeknesse instruct those that are contrary minded 〈◊〉 2.25 and see if God peraduenture will giue them repentance But it is true also that the Heart and the Spirit that is broken and contrite hath a hand in its owne breaking and contrition of it selfe our owne vnderstanding doth discouer our sinne and our owne heart doth melt it selfe vpon the sight thereof yea it would be no vertue of ours were it not produced by our owne reasonable faculties It is true that the Crosse sometimes and sometimes discontent worldly discontent because things goe not with vs as flesh and bloud desireth or spirituall discontent because the worme of Conscience doth bite vs and giueth vs no rest doe oftentimes humble vs but these things make not vp our broken and contrite heart except we be as well actiue as passiue therein As Christ in his so we in our Sacrifices must be Sacerdotes Sacrificium we must be both the thing that is offered and the offerers we must as willingly humble our selues as be deeply humbled But here we must obserue a good Rule of Saint Bernards when we say that this humiliation is from God 〈…〉 Arbiâ—â— and from man from Gods Grace and mans freewill we doe not meane that these are co-ordinate but subordinate Non partim gratia partim liberum arbitrium Grace and freewill doe not share the worke betweene them sed totum singula peragunt each of them doth performe the whole worke Grace doth it wholly freewill doth it wholly sed vt totum in illo sic totum ex illâ As the whole humiliation is immediately wrought by the freewill of man so is the freewill of man inabled thereunto by the Grace of God Grace determineth the wil if not physically at least morally But to conclude this poynt We often read in the Prophets that God doth threaten he will conterere peccatores crush sinners all to pieces Saint Basil telleth vs that there is a remedy against it that is contrition is to be opposed against contrition In â—say 13. if we will humble our selues God will neuer humble vs. I haue dwelt long enough in opening our morall seruice I come now to shew you how it is esteemed Here the first thing that I find is that what was denyed to the ceremoniall is yeelded to the morall seruice First there it was denyed that God doth require that but here it is affirmed that God requireth this for a broken and contrite heart is Gods Sacrifices And see here at first we meere with a rubbe for in corporall Sacrifices a man might not offer that which was broken or bruised Leuit. 22. it should seeme that in spirituall he may But the reconciliation is easie for those Sacrifices did principally note Christ who was without all blemish before he was offered and yet being such he was broken for our sinnes my Text doth not compare man to the Sacrifice before it was offered though we should all striue to be as good as we may when we present our selues to God but the comparison is of man to the sacrifice after it is offered and then it may without fault bee broken yea it is brought thither to the end that it may be broken neither except it be broken is it any Sacrifice But to the maine point I told you there are two propositions in these words the Sacrifices of God are a broken and contrite heart First That God which careth not for the slaughter of beasts requireth the mortification of men that is the slaughter which he requireth therfore is the name Seuach giuen vnto it which signifieth a beast slaine And this bringeth vs on to another note concerning a broken and a contrite heart and that is Our humiliation is the slaying of the beastiality of our nature And indeed euery lust is a very beast and for them doth the Holy Ghost call men by the name of many beasts sometimes swine sometimes dogges sometimes foxes hee that doth abolish these lusts doth slay so many beasts A second proposition is That one mortification of man is to God insteed of all the sacrificing of Beasts All that were required to reconciliation or all simply surely we may vnderstand it both wayes It may be Sacrifices if it comprehend onely the Expiatorie and Dedicatorie as it doth so farte as God requireth these from vs and accepteth vs in Christ for he requireth no other Expiation of vs then a godly sorrow detesting sinne neither doth he expect any other Dedication then that wee be wholly conuerted vnto God and I shewed you how both these are represented in the broken and contrite heart Will you extend it to all Sacrifices you may Abulens in Exod. Tom 2. p. 131. for all had some reference to Reconciliation euen those which seeme to haue least the Votiue and Eucharisticall for though their principall ends were to acknowledge or obtaine some blessing of or from God yet the manner of the sacrificing so farre as it was common to the Sacrifice for sin did withall deprecate Gods wrath and acknowledge that sinne made the offerer vnworthy as well of that blessing which he had receiued as of that which he begged Which must bee obserued because this broken and contrite heart looketh to the praise of God which Dauid not many verses before promised he would shew forth And
whose hands he knew he should haue no thankes for his labour So to confesse must needes be an ingenuous Confession And indeed such an ingenuous Confession doth well beseeme all in debates of Religion For it fals not out in them as it doth in the Games of Actiuitie wherein onely he that conquereth is crowned the conquered also shall haue his crowne in this case if being conuicted hee acknowledge and submit himselfe vnto the truth It were to bee wished that the World would imitate this Ingenuitie that God might forgiue vs our infirmities and giue vs grace to profit in the way of eternall life But the World is possest with a spirit of obstinacie so that men will not be perswaded though they bee perswaded nor conuicted when they are conuicted bee it in head or heart When wee deale with Papists or Anabaptists we haue too lamentable proofe hereof they carrie themselues like deafe Adders they stop their eares and will not heare the voyce of the Charmer charme he neuer so wisely But to leaue the absent and direct my speech to our selues that are present Are our Hearts better disposed then their Heads I would they were but experience teacheth that though our sinnes bee laid neuer so clearely before vs and Gods Law that condemnes them often applied close to our Conscience yet few there are that become sensible as Dauid was vpon Nathans reproofe or as the Niniuites were at the preaching of Ionas The want of this Ingenuitie is the cause why drunkards sweareas adulterers all wicked liuers notwithstanding all our instruction continue still like vnto themselues But let them take heed their obstinacie will one day cost them deare they will be put vnto a worse shame for perseuering in sinne Eccle 4 Aust Epist â—8 then euer their Repentance coulde bring vpon them You haue heard one branch of the Scribes Ingenuitie manifested in his acknowledgment of the truth when he heard it But hee doth not onely acknowledge but he doth iustifie it also hee sheweth that he is able soundly to confirme it And indeed this is compleate Ingenuitie when a man doth not onely yeeld when he hath nothing to say against the truth but also goeth farther and becomes an Aduocate thereof shewing the reason that moues him and may moue others to subscribe vnto it See how this Scribe doth it To loue God with all our heart saith he and our Neighbour as our selfe is better then all burnt offering and sacrifice Nothing could come in competition with Morall Law but the Ceremoniall giuing it then preeminence aboue the Ceremoniall he giues it absolute preeminence and so prooues Loue to be the great Commandement following herein the direction of God himselfe in Esay Osea Amos Cap. 1. Cap. 6. Cap. 5. Cap. 7. and Ieremie I haue handled this point vpon the fiftie one Psalme and therefore intend to passe by it at this time onely giuing you this rule whereby you may the better iudge of his proofe Charitie pleaseth God immediately of it selfe Sacrifices please not but in vertue of Charitie But marke how with this his Reason hee doth perstring his fellowes You know the Pharisees were for their Corban Irenie i. â— c. 323 and taught children to disobey and destitute their parents rather then not to performe their sacrifice which Doctrine of theirs this Scribe acknowledgeth to be most peruerse a fruit of couetousnesse Of whom we may learne this good lesson that we must not perfunctorily read the Scriptures but learne by them how to argue for them by knowing what is contained in them and weying what will follow vpon them Secondly marke that whereas this Questionist came as a Tempter he so profited by Christs answere that hee went away a commender of Christ which ingenuitie of his makes it probable that of himselfe hee was well disposed but carried away with ill companie of which sort no doubt but there are many in the Church of Rome many that rather follow the streame then their owne iudgement whose vnhappinesse it is to be so vnhappily yoked which must teach vs to take heed how we sort our selues with malicious aduersaries of the truth least wee become like vnto them at least be made instruments of theirs Finally obserue that Christ hath a greater conquest ouer the Pharisees then he had ouer either the Herodian or the Sadducee for he onely put them to silence so that it was left wholy to the Auditorie to iudge whether they were fully answered or no but the Scribe that thought to speed better is driuen to a harder straight hee is driuen to confesse and that before the people that Christ had answered the truth hee that thought to procure his disgrace is made the trumpet of his prayse and glorie so strangely doth God worke in the hearts and consciences of men according to that in the Psalme He receiued gifts for men euen for his enemies that the Lord God might dwell amongst them and to this purpose are his arrowes said to be verie sharpe and to pierce the hearts of the Kings enemies Psal 45. the preparation of the heart is of man but the answere of the tongue is of the Lord Baalam went to curse the Israelites God made him blesse them Saul went to take Dauid God made him prophesie of his succession the messengers went to take Christ but they returned with this commendations of him Neuer man spake as he speaketh Saul went to persecute the Christians of Damascus but on the way hee was so changed that when he came thither he preached the Gospell So doth the rage of man turne to Gods praise and the fiercenesse of their Spirits doth he refraine hee turneth Lyons into Lambes And thus much shall suffice to be spoken of the Scribes Ingenuitie I come now to Christs Clemencie the clemencie wherewith he entertained that Ingenuitie the Text saith first that he tooke notice of it he saw that he answered discreetly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word is significant as one hauing a reasonable soule The proper obiect of our vnderstanding is Truth it is naturally carried thereunto and so is the will to Good the the naturall obiect thereof But these reasonable abilities are diuerted and peruerted by our sense and sensuall appetite which beset vs and which we are desirous to please Whereupon it followes that though men be reasonable creatures yet are their resolutions for the most part carnall so that it is no small commendation for a man to bee able to sequester in his consultations the better part from the worse and notwithstanding the solicitations of the worse to follow the direction and inclination of the better as did this Scribe And what he did Christ saw his piercing eye discerned not onely the words which he spake but the fountaine also from whence they sprang otherwise he would not haue spared after his custome to haue told him plainely that hee was an hypocrite But Christ is so farre from blaming him that hee seemeth rather
part of the commaundement there is perfectio viatoris and comprehensoris Perfectio comprehensoris the perfection of a man when hee commeth to heauen will bee this saith Saint Austin Non concupiscet hee will not there couet at all couet any thing against the prescript of Gods Law But wee may not exspect to haue that perfection in this life because God is pleased euen in his best Children to continue here Luctam inter spiritum carnem a conflict betweene the flesh and the spirit Onely in Baptisme hee taketh away reatum Concupiscentis and regnum Concupiscentiae those that are regenerated are not guiltie because sinfull Concupiscence is or stirreth in them neither doth Concupiscence continue her soueraigntie ouer them So that God vnto their perfection in the Church militant requires onely of his Children vt post Concupiscentias ne eant that they take no care for the flesh to sulfill the lusts thereof Rom 13 14. Rom 8. v. 1. And there is no Condemnation to them that are in Christ Iesus that walke not after the flesh but after the spirit which is Saint Pauls conclusion vpon the conflict described Rom. 7. and he shewes plainely that hee would haue it vnderstood of the New and Old mans Conflict not of reason and sensualitie as the Arminians And can men performe so much as in the Apostles words is required The Romanists say they can but they say it vntruely For this contention of the spirit and the flesh is not duellum but Bellum it is not a single combat but a plaine warre And you know there is great ods betweene these for in a single combat a man is to ward but one and bee hath but one to wound But in the warre in a pitch't battaile Singuli pugnant contra omnes omnes contra singulos euerie man must take care of all his enemies that are in the field For there is not one of them but may giue him a wound eminus or cominus either buckling with him or striking him from aloofe So that when he gardeth his head from one another may smite him at the heart when he maketh all sure before he may be smitten behind or he may be pierced in the sides As hee is thus encumbred in the defensiue so is he in the offensiue also he may not thinke himselfe safe so long as any one of his enemies doth liue Behold here a liuely Image of the militant Souldiers of Christ they haue not to doe with one but with many enemies the flesh the world the diuell And these haue vnder them many desperate Souldiers The flesh as many as wee haue senses and affections parts of our bodies and powers of our Soules The world as many as there are creatures And the diuell is a Prince of many legions Wee must withstand them all and that at all times and not onely withstand them but also stand against them at all times wee must looke to be set vpon by them and we must set vpon them A very hard taske Pluribus intentus minor est ad singula sensus saith the prouerb and the more our strength is distracted by many the lesse must it needs be against any one Were I onely to defend my eye happily I might make my part good against the lust thereof but at the same instant that I turne them away least they behold vanitie I am assaulted with an itching in my eare that is exposed to flatterie Put the case I bestirre my selfe so well that I keepe the enemie out of both those inlets he will giue mee a fall by my tongue he will cast some firie Dart into that it shall be set on fire of Hell as Saint Iames speaketh to slander to blaspheme Iames 3.6 to speake some idle or euill words Neither are my hands secure at the very same time from being sollicited with briberie or vnto bloudshed It were infinite to goe ouer all the powers of my Soule all the parts of my body they are all at once and euer in the same danger and must all at once and euer be put vnto the same labour both defensiue and offensiue Adde hereunto three great disaduantages of the spirituall warfare aboue the corporall for in the corporall warfare as there are many enemies so those against whom they come being many distract them that they cannot all fall vpon one but in the spirituall warre it is not so all our spirituall foes at one time may set vpon euerie one of vs yea they neuer goe a sunder for our flesh euer ioyneth with the world and the diuell with them both The second disaduantage is that whereas open hostilitie in earthly warfare is not alwayes accompanied with treacherie in the spirituall it is For our selues hold secret intelligence with and yeeld assistance to our ghostly enemies we betray vnto them a propension that we haue to be conquered And when the battle ioynes our members become weapons of vnrighteousnesse and with our owne lusts wee fight against our owne soules The third disaduantage is that in earthly warfare when the souldiers come to execution they spare none and they goe vpon a good principle shall I spare his bloud that will be euer ready to spill mine 1. Sam. 15. Reg. 20. Saul in sparing Agag and Ahab who spared Benhadad were taxed and punished for their foolish pittie But of this foolish pittie there appeares too much in our spirituall warfare for if God bring the world vnder vs yea and our flesh too we are afraid to be hard hearted to either of them wee hold it too much spiritualtie to crucifie the world and wee hold it too much inhumanitie to crucifie our owne flesh And by reason of this indulgence euen when they are foyled they are still in heart still in hope to recouer the masterie and bring vs vnder againe This being the condition of sinfull man the Schoolemen hold that no man in the state of grace is of sufficient strength to ouer come all sin though they adde that there is no one sinne which hee may not ouercome they speake of actuall sinnes and they speake truely if they bee vnderstood of that which a man may doe For if a man be tempted vnto any sinne if hee pray vnto God for grace and make vse of that grace which God doth giue him hee may with-hold his consent and choose whether he will act it and if he doe consent and act it hee is without all excuse Tertullian hath a prettie simile when two striue oftentimes the one ouercommeth the other not because the conquerour was the stronger but because he that is conquered was the more cowardly and such cowards the best of men doe proue very often in their spirituall war are But it is in vaine to dispute what may be done by grace against all sin or any one sin otherwise then to shew al mens frailty For the least of the two was neuer so done as that any man can truely boast of perfectio
shewed whensoeuer wee approach God or haue to doe with sacred things That we may learne and practice it Let vs in the feare of God listen to that which I shall further say of these points briefly and in their order The first is Moses charge He must make a fence betweene the people and the Hill set bounds round about the People or as it is in the 23. verse He must sanctifie the Mountaine and make of it a Sanctuarie And indeed well might it so be reputed when it was couered with all the visible tokens of Gods maiesticall presence and if it be sanctified hereunto then it followeth it must be reuerend in our eyes and inuiolable by vs wee must not esteeme it as common ground nor make bold with it as if it were such Euerie man should know his distance and obserue it but ignorance in some and negligence in others are the causes why men left to themselues either know not what they should doe or doe not what they know God therefore in pitie of our ignorance and to hold in our vnrulinesse hath appointed those that shall set vs our bounds especially in things indifferent wherein presuming of lawfulnesse few will haue an eye to expediences The vulgar eye is not sharpe enough to discerne it neither is the vulgar heart plyable to the obseruance of it It is the worke of the Gouernour to remedie both these defects Neither onely in things indifferent but also in moralities for they are to make Lawes euen vpon the Law of nature and keepe vs to the doing of that which we would not doe though our Conscience suffer vs not to bee ignorant thereof because the morall Law is written in our hearts What man that hath not put off a man knoweth not that murder adulterie theft are sinnes And yet what more common in mens liues The commonnesse hath made it necessarie for all States to set bounds vnto their people in regard of these things And if in regard of Ciuill how much more of Ecclesiasticall things Men are neuer more lawlesse then in those things wherein you would exspect that euery man should especially bee a Law vnto himselfe that is in keeping his distance from God But herein also we need a Boundarie and God hath appointed those that must set it And who are they but such as Moses those that are set ouer vs For Moses must be considered here not onely as a messenger from God but also as a Ruler of the Israelites neither were they to heare him onely as a Counselour but as a commander his words did more then informe they did order their liues And in a word this is a principall branch of Magistracie to take away the common excuse of offenders which is Non putaram I wist not that this was my dutie and to direct them by Lawes before they call them to an account for their liues I will not here fall vpon the question which is much debated at this day whether Magistrates may set bounds vnto the people in causes Ecclesiasticall as well as Ciuill Onely take notice that here by an example we are taught that they may And let this suffice for Moses charge The Israelites charge is They must not presume to goe vp vnto the Mount And indeed a Boundarie were no Boundarie if it might bee passed You know by your ground that an Inclosure is no Inclosure if it may bee common how much more must this be conceiued of the Inclosure of God that Ground which he hath fenced vnto himselfe for a Sanctuarie If it be a trespasse to breake through your neighbours fence how much more through the fence of God This is Transgression indeed it is indeed Peccatum for that is quasi pecuatum playing the vnruly sheepe that will not be kept within his penne or to speake plainely with S. Iohn 1 Iohn 3 4. it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Transgression of Gods Law But God will not haue his people Sonnes of Belial such as cannot indure his yoake Psal 2. hee will not haue them like those insolent ones that say Let vs breake his bonds and cast his cords from vs. God hath giuen a Law to the sea saying Iob. 38. Hitherto shalt thou come and here thou shalt stay thy proud waues and the Sea passeth not the bounds which God hath set it How much lesse should we presume notwithstanding the swelling of our nature and the impetuous affections thereof God exspecteth we should checke the presumption of our nature But about all presumption we should take heed of that which is the highest going vp into the Mount prophaning of the Sanctuarie of God and ventring in sacred things farther then he giueth vs leaue Curiositie in this kind hath beene the mother of Heresies when men haue beene busily wittie in searching into rather then belieuing of that profound Article of the Trinitie Man that is not able to vnderstand his owne nature Dauid confesseth such knowledge is too wonderfull for him dreameth that hee can comprehend the nature of God 〈◊〉 39. Others haue lost themselues while they haue diued into the mysteries of the Incarnation who are not able to vnderstand their owne regeneration Some ouer-studie themselues in the Booke of Gods prouidence and would know more then is possible for man to conceiue of Gods counsell in Predestination of the cooperation of grace in free-will c. Others climbe not so high but yet they goe to farre in determining the manner of the mysticall Vnion in the Sacrament and discouering of mysticall senses in many passages of the Scriptures To say nothing of the Iewish Cabalists of Astrologian diuinations of hereticall Reuelations and heathenish mysteries It is too cleare that what with the curious Cur Why of some and quomodo How of others there hath beene manifold passing the Bounds climbing the Mount and intrusions vpon God and the things of God It is naturall to a man to desire knowledge but since wee did eate of the forbidden fruit we haue beene very peruerse in that desire we that haue no mind to know God as we ought are very eager to know him as we ought not In this world Non Deum scrutari sedam are debemus we should rather desire to loue God then to know him whereas wee desire rather to know him then to loue him and as our first parents desire rather to eate of the tree of knowledge of good and euill then of the tree of life And we need as a spurre vnto good and sauing knowledge so a bridle to restraine vs from that knowledge which is curious and presumptuous 〈◊〉 12. wherefore blessed is that discretion which maketh vs wise vnto sobrietie I will conclude this point with a good admonition of the Sonne of Syrach 〈◊〉 3. Seeke not out the things that are too hard for thee neither search the things that are aboue thy strength but what is commanded thee thinke therevpon with reuerence The ground of that good
God then it can be by any man The second difference is in the measure a double measure of the stroake and of the time Touching the stroake Nazianzen obserues 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Naziá Orat. 15. p. 228. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that in this world God doth allay his seueritie with mercie but they that shall be punished in the world to come shall drinke the very dregges of the cup of his wrath the iudgements in this life are but the smoke of wrath the preface vnto torments such stripes as Schoolemasters giue vnto little children that learn their A.B.C. But the iudgments in the world to come they are more then smoke they are the flaming fire it selfe read Mal. 3.4 they are more they the preface to torments they are the torments themselues so we read of the rich Glutton that he was in the torments Finally they are more then childrens smart they are the stripes of the oldest Truants such as are prouided for the Deuill and his Angels Eâ—eck 8.18 Then God will deale in his furie his mercie will not spare neither will hee haue pitie and though they crie in his eares with a loud voice hee will not heare them If any bodie desire to know more of the measure of the stroake let him reade the Prophets they are copious in amplifying the terrour of the Lords Day Besides this measure of the stroake there is a measure also of the time for in this world afflictions are but momentanie in the world to come they are eternall here heauinesse may continue for a night but ioy commeth againe in the morning as God doth not suffer all his indignation to arise so is he very quickly reconciled so quickly that it scarce can be remembred that he was offended certainly it is too vsually forgotten But in the world to come wrath is permanent Affliction as Nahum speaketh ariseth not the second time the worme neuer dieth neither doth the fire euer goe out This being the oddes in the measure it proueth that in comparison that which is inflicted in this life deserueth not the name of wrath especially if you adde the third difference the difference in the End Saint Austine doth giue vs a distinction of wrath Conâ— 2. â—â— Psal 58 â—a consunâ—ptiâ—nis Ira consummationis and telleth vs that there is a wrath consuming and a wrath consummating a wrath which God inflicts to make men the better and a wrath which God inflicts therewith vtterly to destroy men that is the wrath which he inflicteth in this life and this is the wrath which hee inflicteth in the life to come And indeed God in this life doth not punish man but the Deuill God reserueth mans punishment to the life to come The corruption that is in our nature is the Deuils possession in working out that God worketh out him and it is his intent to worke him out his stroakes here are like a physicall potion giuen to a sicke bodie not to abide in him but when it hath drawne vnto it selfe the matter of his disease to be cast out againe with the humour that did offend him This is the true end of Gods chastisements in this world But it is as true that this physicke doth not alwayes sort this effect the fault is not in the potion but in the stomacke that taketh it if the stomacke haue strength to make vse of the potion then doth it recouer thereby but if it want strength then doth the potion increase the peccant humours and augment the patients disease The wicked for want of grace are the worse for their punishment it proueth vnto them wrath of consumption but they that haue grace are the better wrath to them is better then laughter as the Preacher speaketh because by the sadnesse of the countenance the heart is made better â—celes 7. and chastisement bringeth forth the quiet fruit of righteousnesse to them that are exercised thereby Heb. 12.11 yea Maior ira quädo Deus non requirit Saint Austine obserues well God is most displeased with vs in this world when hee is displeased least and his long patience here doth prognosticate his heauier vengeance hereafter it maketh it suspitious that we are bastards and no sonnes if seeing such is our infirmitie that wee cannot but sinne wee bee not timely reclaimed by chastisement of sinne But to shut vp this point that which proceedeth from loue and is executed with so tender a hand to so good a purpose as is our perfection doth not deserue the name of wrath this name belongeth more properly to that punishment which proceedeth from Gods hatred and is executed without mercie to the eternall destruction of man and that is The wrath to come therefore is the day thereof properly called The day of wrath and the persons that suffer then are properly The vessels of wrath In the number of which that we may not be we must harken to the Remedie And the Remedie is flying flie from the wrath to come if the Remedie be flying then there is no standing to it no trauersing of our indictment no bribing of our Iudge no priuiledge of our persons no reliefe from our strength no standing to it by these or any other meanes we must flie But flying is either corporall or spirituall the corporall will be attempted it should seeme so by Christs relation in the Gospel and Saint Iohn saith in the Reuelation Reuel 6 that Captaines and rich men and great men shall flie to the rockes to the hils and desire to be couered to be hid from the wrath of the Lambe but all in vaine for they are reiected by rocks and hilles And indeed whether should they flie then when all the world becommeth Gods jayle and euery creature becommeth his jaylour yea the showre that doth attend Christs comming to judgement is a showre of snares Psal 7. Amos 5.19 and the Prophets Amos especially doth excellently shew the vanitie of this flight It shall be as if a man did flie from a Lion and a Beare met him and he runneth from the Beare vnto a wall and there a Serpent biteth him that is whithersoeuer he turne he shall find those that will seize vpon him he cannot possibly escape not by flying corporally He must then flie spiritually and indeed it is spirituall flight that is the Remedie But what is spirituall flight Surely wee must conceiue and bee in trauell with amendment of our liues and neuer stop vntill we haue brought forth a compleate spirit of saluation that is we must flie from sinne and flie vnto grace in both which consisteth the flight from wrath Quem poenit et peccati iram Der mortalem facit Lactantius de ira Dâ—â— Hee that iudgeth himselfe in this world he whose heart is prickt with remorse of sinne whose heart trembleth melteth and is broken with the feare of Gods wrath hee that singeth the song of mercie and layeth hold vpon the Mercie-seat desiring
to loose all those that will make vse of the flight amongst which these Iewes were none For who hath forewarned you saith Saint Iohn vnto them Before I come to the question I must a little describe the persons they were Sadduces and Pharisees There are but two extremities of Religion into which men run Superstition and Atheisme these fell the one that is the Pharisees into the one extremitie and the other that is the Saduces into the other extremitie Now sinnes are of two sorts some whose nature is in opposition to the flying from the wrath to come and some which are such as they doe not exclude the same A Drunkard an Adulterer a Murderer are grieuous sinners and in danger of the wrath to come but the Principles are not corrupted vpon which the forewarner must worke when hee perswadeth then to flie they doe beleeue the iudgement to come and in cold bloud will easily belieue that there is euill in their liues therefore vpon such good counsell may worke and wee see daily that many such are reclaimed But there are many whose sinnes are opposite vnto this counsell of flying either because they thinke there is no wrath to come as the Saducee or that they are out of danger of it as the Pharisee vpon such it is hard working Now come to the question Who hath forewarned you I am not ignorant that sundrie Writers ancient and later suppose that this is Quaestio admirantis and make Saint Iohn Baptist who receiued all others quietly when these persons came to stand amazed and wondring Is it possible hath Gods grace preuailed with Saduces with Pharisees and will they also bee Christs Disciples Is Saul among the Prophets Can hee that thought there was no Hell be brought to flie from Hell and hee that thought himselfe righteous prouide against the Iudgement day Surely such examples are rare not that God doth not yeil◠some to shew nothing is impossible to his grace but he yeildeth but few because men should take heed of such sinnes and wee see by experience how Pharisaisme in Papists and in Atheists Saducisme frustrate the labours of many painfull Forewarners the corrupt Principles of their conscience hinder their preuayling Who forewarne them to flie from the wrath to come But I take the Question rather to bee Negatiue and that as Christ often so Saint Iohn here doth detect their hypocrisie and telleth them that they aimed little at that which was intended by Baptisme The Kingdome of God happily in their sense they could bee content to enter into by the Baptisme of Saint Iohn for their Messias was to bee a worldly King or if so be they thought vpon wrath which they desired to escape it was wrath present not wrath to come the wrath of men not the wrath of God they would shake off the yoke of the Romanes they feared not the paines of Hell when they perceiued that Saint Iohns Baptisme sorted not with their desire it is obserued that they despised it to their destruction and when Christ asked them Whether it were of heauen or of men they durst not answere him from Heauen least Christ should come vpon them with Why did you not then belieue it Adde hereunto that it is not likely Saint Iohn would haue reproched them with these words generation of Vipers had there not bin hypocrisie in them I conclude then that the Question containeth a negation and that S. Iohn herein doth set forth the second euill of these Iewes They wanted meanes of forewarning which might apply to them the Remedie which God hath appointed against the wrath to come Matth. 21. v 25 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Orat. 31. p. 501. Nazianzen obserueth well It is not the Nation but the disposition that maketh a Pharisee euery Countrie may haue Pharisees and Saduces for it is not the name of a Nation but a conuersation and therefore this question may concerne vs and we must inquire into our selues whether wee haue either a Pharisees or a Saduces disposition And indeed wee shall find too many of both Heretickes Atheists vpon whom Forewarners cannot worke and if we be better disposed wee must acknowledge Gods great mercie that as hee hath appointed wrath so hee hath appointed a Remedie wee must learne both of our Forewarners and so learne both that we be the better for them and scape the vengeance that is to come The summe of all is sinnes and punishments are not inseparable God hath set a space betweene them and appointed a Remedie to the one for the auoyding of the other for the knowledge hereof hee referres vs to our spirituall Pastors and we must take heed we haue neither Saduces nor Pharisees eares which may make vs vncapable of their forewarnings O Lord that hast appointed Forwarners to thy Church so blesse their paines that they may fixe our thoughts on and resolue our reason of that wrath which is to come not only the sight of it but also the flight from it Let vs not despise the riches of thy goodnesse forbearance and long-suffering nor with hard and impenitent hearts treasure vp vnto our selues wrath against the day of wrath Rom. 2. Eccles 18. but knowing that thy goodnesse leadeth vs to repentance let vs so thinke vpon the wrath that shall be at the end that we may flie from sinne to grace and so bee thought worthy to escape this euill and stand in the last day with comfort before the Sonne of man stand for euer to giue glorie vnto thee the Father of mercie through Iesus Christ our only meanes to obtaine this mercie in the Communion of the holy spirit who only teacheth vs to make the right vse of this mercie Amen The third Sermon LVKE 3. VERSE 8. Bring forth therefore fruites worthy of Repentance SAint Iohn Baptist hath in his Sermon hitherto shewed the Iewes of their bad case in regard both of sinne and woe If he had here ended he should rather haue seemed to bee a minister of Moses then an harbinger of Christ and although happily he might haue awakned the worme of Conscience to bite them with the terrours of the Law yet should hee not haue answered his fathers prophecie by giuing light to them that sit darknesse Luke 1. and in the shaddow of death and guiding their feete into the way of peace wherefore to shew that hee came indeed in the spirit of Elias and meant to turne the hearts of the fathers towards their children Malachi 4.6 and the children towards their fathers before the Lord came and smote the earth with cursing as he vnpartially gaue the Iewes to vnderstand the euill of their case so doth he carefully endeauour to set them in a better course The ground and scope of his words is in effect this Euerie Iew is to haue a double being in the Couenant an hereditarie a possessorie in that he is the of spring of Abraham he hath a title to the promises but possession of that whereunto
it quickeneth a bodie consisting of many different members all which it setteth on worke the eye to see the eare to heare the foot to goe c. euen so though the grace of God which is the soule of the soule of man be but one yet doth it animate the whole man and doth as truly communicate good manners to the parts as the Soule doth Life Titus 2. The grace of God which bringeth saluation vnto all mâ—n teacheth vs to denie all vngodlinesse and worldly lusts and to liue soberly righteously and godly in this present world Ephes 6. hereupon Saint Paul biddeth vs put on the whole armour of God and to cast away all workes of darknesse and in another place Whatsoeuer things are iust whatsoeuer things are holy Rom. 13. Philip. 〈◊〉 whatsoeuer things are true whatsoeuer things are of good report thinke vpon these things Wee must haue not only a disposition to doe well but remember that wee are to doe well more wayes then one The same God that commandeth one vertue commandeth all and he will not haue any part or power of man exempted from his seruice Which must bee heeded by vs because there are few that are of Saint Pauls minde Philip. 3 13. to forget those things that are behind and make forward no sooner haue wee brought forth one good worke but we fall in loue with that and there take vp our rest and thinke that may serue insteed of all suffering Gods graces to be idle which are aswell able to make a chastâ—cie as a sober tongue and an obedient eare as a diligent hand Much more good might come from euery man if he did not thinke hee did good enough therefore let vs remember that nothing must bee accounted enough that is lesse then all and that wee set not straighter bounds to our duties then those which are in Gods Law But we haue not now to doe in generall with good workes my text restraineth me to workes of repentance I come then nearer to those And although I hane alreadie opened vnto you the nature of repentance yet must I wade a little farther in it and branch it as it were into its kinds The Law of God hath two parts the Precept and the Sanction The Sanction sheweth vnto vs the danger of sinne obliging vnto punishment from which wee are not free but by Iustification and this Iustification is attended with Repentance Repentance that looketh vnto the guilt of sinne which cleaueth vnto the Act thereof This Repentance is that which is practised in the times of Humiliation when we deprecate Gods wrath which is vpon vs or hangeth ouer vs by reason of enormous sinnes of the whole state and of particular persons 〈◊〉 2. Ionah 3. such is that which is called for in Ioel and whereof wee haue the practice in Ionah The Primitiue Church was well acquainted with it as appeareth by the Ecclesiasticall storie the Canons of the first Councels the writings of Tertullian Origen Cyprian and others our Church taketh notice of it in a part of the Liturgie and wisheth the publike restitution of it Tantae seueritati non sumus pares But it is rather to bee wished then hoped for Notwithstanding what is not done in publike by malefactors should be supplied by better obseruance of those dayes which are appointed weekly and of those weeks which are appointed yearely to be Poenitentiall to be dayes and weekes of Fasting and Praying Wee cannot denie but crying sinnes are daily committed and therefore Gods wrath might daily bee inflicted The way to stay it is to shew that wee are not guiltie thereof and as he is not guiltie by the Law of man which had no hand in sinne so by the Law of God none goe for not guiltie except they doe expresse a penitent sorrow that any should bee so wretched as to commit the sinne You remember how one Achan troubled all Israel and his sinne is layed to all their charge Ioshua the seuenth and they were all made to sanctifie themselues from that sinne and how the vnknowne murder was expiated wee reade Deut. 21. there must bee a feeling in vs of other mens sinnes a religious feeling seeing thereby they put not only themselues but vs to in danger of Gods wrath and therefore though our conscience haue no speciall burden of its owne yet must it haue of others and endeuour to ease both it selfe and the whole state thereof And how may priuate men better doe this then by those solemne acts of Humiliation the only attonement which by faith in Christ we can make with God But Saint Pauls complaint may be renewed 1. Cor. 5. It is reported commonly that there is fornication wee may adde Murder Adulterie and any other enormeous sinne the seates of Iudgement can witnesse that our Land is fertile of all sorts but as Saint Paul said so will I all men are puffed vp and who doth sorrow The emptinesse of our Churches vpon Fridayes and Wednesdayes and other Fasting dayes sheweth how litle feeling there is in vs of the crying sinnes of our State It were well if we had some feeling of our owne But where is that Drunkard where is that Adulterer where is that Murderer where is that Blasphemer that Vsurer that Oppressor that commeth into Gods House bathed in his teares broken in his heart stript of his pride humbled in his bodie and making a reall crie for mercie in the eares of God No wee come not so farre as a vocall our tongues crie not God bee mercifull to mee a Sinner which is but the voice of man much lesse doe our sighes doe it which are the voice of Gods Spirit we shame not to sinne Regis admirabilem virtutem fecit multò splendidiorem c. but to repent wee are ashamed Ashamed of that whereof we should glorie surely Theodoret thought better of King Dauids repentance when he pronounced of it There were many Heroicall vertues in King Dauid but for none is he so illustrious as for his repentance so much more illustrious by how much it is a rarer thing to see a King come from his Throne clothed in sackcloth sitting in dust and ashes feeding vpon the bread of sorrow and mingling his drinke with his teares then to see him in state either vttering Prouerbs like a Solomon or triumphing ouer his foes as at other times he also did Stultum est iâ—e eo statu viuere in quo non audet quis Mori or doing any other act in the maiestie of a King But most men are ashamed of this glorie and chose rather to glorie in their shame vnto whom I will vse Saint Austines words It is grosse folly to liue in that state in which a man would bee loth that death should take him hee addeth That the man which dareth goe to bed with a conscience charged with the guilt of one enormous sinne is much more desperate then he that dareth lie vnarmed with seuen
saw his glory as the glory of the only begotten Sonne of God full of grace and truth But beyond all is the testimonie of God the Father whether deliuered by the Prophet Psay Cap. 42. Behold my seruant whom I vphold mine elect in whom my soule delighteth or vttered by a voyce from heauen This is my welbeloued Son in whom I am well pleased Mat. 3.17 For can he be lesse than altogether desirable that is Gods delight But passing by all these I will insist vpon three Titles of his which haue speciall reference to our good The first is Immanuel the name of his Person for it signifieth God with vs and how desireable is hee that hath knit that knot hypostatically in himselfe which is the ground of that mysticall knot which is to bee betweene God and vs wherein stands our eaerlasting blisse Certainely in regard of this name hee is most desirable the name that so linketh together heauen and earth a mortall wretch with the immortall God especially if you obserue that he is vnited totus toti the whole person of God to the whole nature of Man that we may be wholly ioyned and so doth he become wholly desireable of vs. His second name is Iesus that maketh him as desireable St. Bernard hath sumâ—ned vp the pleasurablenesse thereof in few but very sweet words Nomen Iesuest mel in ore melos in aure iubilum in corde all our reasonable acts are diuided into speaking hearing and thinking and loe we cannot speake of him but he is as honey in our mouthes and if wee heare of him the talke doth make the best melody in our eares finally the greatest ioy of our heart and the truest also springeth from our meditation vpon him The reason of all which is this Name soundeth nothing but Saluation and Saluation is the most wished most welcome thing to a childe of wrath to him whose sinnes can promise no better than a neuer-dying worme and an euer burning fire Well may we terme thee sweet Iesu that deliuerest vs from these plagues especially seeing there is no part of thee that hath not borne a part in sauing vs. His third name is Christ a most desireable name and why it signifieth a person anointed with no other than that which the Psalmist calleth the oyle of gladnesse This precious oyle poured vpon his head Psal 4â— 143. 45. ranne downe to vs the skirts of his garments insomuch as we now smell of Myrrhe Aloes and Cassia and are now through him become a sweete sauour to God who in the corruption of our nature were loathsome vnto him Hee that was Christ that is anointed that hee might so perfume vs with the sweetnesse of his graces must needes bee to vs as hee beares that title wholly desireable But for your further insight into the louelinesse of this name resolue it into those three offices whereunto he was anointed and being anointed or consecrated vnto them was called Christ First hee was Christ a Prophet such a Prophet as wee cannot desire a better hee was the very wisedome the word of God grace was poured into his lips and they that heard him wondred at the gracious words that came from him and well they might for that which he vttered was Euangelium glad tidings of good things His Priesthood was more desirable than his Prophecie for hee offered the sacrifice of sweet sauour vnto God which expiated all our sinnes and propitiated all his wrath and vpon his crosse he prepared that delicate feast that Esay speakes of cap. 25. Fat meate full of marrow and pleasant wines throughly refined from the Lees His flesh and his bloud were made such a feast for vs though in dressing of them he endured much paine Finally hee was a King and in regard thereof hee is most desireable for his Kingdome is righteousnesse peace Rom. 14.17 and ioy in the boly Ghost Hee is such a King as maketh all his subiects kings and that of the same Kingdome which he himselfe hath euen the Kingdome of Heauen I need say no more to proue that hee is totus desiderabilis altogether desireable But he is more for he is also totum desiderabile all that can be desired which is not granted to any Creature The Scripture labours to make vs vnderstand that all that we seeke out of him is to be found only in him Happy saith Salomon is the man that findeth wisedome and the man that getteth vnderstanding Pro. 3. for the merchandise thereof is better than the merchandise of siluer and her gaine than fine gold hee goeth on and parallels it with all that worldly men desire In Esay cap. 55. you haue the same parallel Ho yee that thirst come vnto the waters Christ himselfe to the Church of Laodicea presseth the same point Reuel 3. Thou thinkest that thou art rich and wantest nothing whereas thou art poore blinde miserable come to me and buy c. When St. Paul Phil. 3. had reckoned vp all his prerogatiues he concludes vers 8. I accompt all these but dung and losse in comparison of the excellent knowledge that is in Christ Iesus But most full is that place of St. Paul 1 Cor. 1. Christ of God is made vnto vs wisedome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption Where obserue how he fitteth vs with supply from Christ as well for the Church Militant as Triumphant In the Church Triumphant we must haue vnderstanding heads and pure hearts that we may see God and enioy him and Christ giueth vs such heads such hearts for hee is made vnto vs wisedome and sanctification As for the Church Militant we neede therein discharge from our sinnes and deliuerance from woe and Christ is made vnto vs righteousnesse that wee may come with boldnesse before the iudgement seate of God and redemption from the curse which is due to the transgressors of the Law Wisd 16.21 So that what the wise man saith of Manna is certainely true of Christ he is vnto euery man what he can reasonably desire hee serues to the appetite of euery eater and is tempered to euery mans liking The Septuagint as if they had intended to teach vs that all things desireable are in him haue vsed the plurall number 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wherefore we conclude that Christ is totum desiderabile and wee may all say with King Dauid What haue I in heauen but thee and what is there in earth that I desire with thee To end this point two things we must learne from this soueraignty of good which are concluded in this one rule Primum in vnoquoque genere est mensura reliquorum seeing Christ is the soueraigne good he must season and stint all our desires Fire is the originall of heate and the Sunne of light and we see that other things haue neyther heat nor light but as they doe partake of fire or the sunne and their measure of both is answerable to the participation of those originals So
Zorobabels Temple But that place must be considered not in its meanenesse as it was built by the Iewes but as it was furnished with that glorie whereof heretofore you haue heard that house so adorned was to bee the place of peace Salomons Temple was a place of peace but his peace was but a type it was a worldly peace Zorobabels Temple is also a place of peace but his peace is the truth that answered the former type the peace thereof is heauenly that Temple which had but the type of the glorie had no more but the type of the peace and the truth of the peace rested there where the truth of the glorie was So that there is an emphasis in the words this place the holy Ghost giueth thereby the Iewes to vnderstand that it was not the former but the later Temple whereunto God intended the peace which he promised to Dauid 2 Sam. 7. 2 Chro. 22. Isay 25. 26. and all the promises of peace in the Prophets were to be referred thither this Ierusalem was to answer vnto her name and to be indeed the vision of peace But I told you heretofore that Zorobabels Temple was to be vnderstood not only literally but mystically and so it signifieth not onely that materiall house but also the Christian Church peace is annext vnto this peace Extra Ecclesiam non est salus No saluation without the Church and therefore no peace he shall neuer haue God for his Father that hath not the Church for his Mother In our Creed wee place the holy Catholicke Church and Communion of Saints before the remission of sinnes and life euerlasting As the soule doth not quicken other parts than those that are vnited to the body no more doth the spirit of God giue his blessing of peace to any that are distracted from the body of the Church This must be obserued against all Schismaticks that doe excommunicate them selues and disorderly persons that are iustly excommunicated by the censure of the Church all these while they continue in that state though they doe not lose ius ad pacem yet they doe lose ius in pace though they doe not lose their interest in yet they suspend the benefit of that peace and their state is vncomfortable though it be not irrecouerable And they which follow negligently the assemblies of the Church doe not a little defraud themselues of this peace for they must seeke it chiefly by prayer in Gods house and there doth God dispence it by the mouth of his Ministers I will giue you only two proofes the one our of the Old Testament when the sacrifices were ended which were typicall prayers Num 6.25 Aaron is willed to dismisse the people with these words The Lord blesse thee and keepe thee the Lord make his face shine vpon thee and be gracious vnto thee the Lord lift vp the light of his countenance vpon thee and giue thee peace A second proofe wee haue in the New Testament where the Church doth solemnely vse those words of the Apostle when after the Liturgie it dismisseth the people The peace of God which passeth all vnder standing keep your hearts and mindes c. And what better inuitation can wee haue to repaire often to the Church than this blessing of peaceâ— foure-fold peace which is there daily offered vnto vs and may bee receiued if we come and come prepared for it I say prepared Before you heard that the peace commeth to the house but as it is furnished with the glorie where there is none of the glorie there can be none of the peace therefore wee must prepare these Temples of our bodies and soules by entertainement of the glory that they may be made capable of the peace The Apostle speaketh plainely Rom. 5. Wee must bee iustified by faith before we can haue peace with God Esay 32. If iudgement dwell in the wildernesse and righteousnesse remaine in the fruitfull fielde the worke of righteousnesse shall bee peace 1 Cor. 2. and the effect of righteousnesse quietnesse and assurance for euer God doth annoint vs before he doth establish vs. St. Austin hath a witty conceit vpon the words of the 85. Psalme Righteousnesse and Peace haue kissed each other Duae sunt amicae Iustitia Pax c. Righteousnesse and Peace are two fast friends happely thou wouldest gladly enioy the one but thou wilt not bee perswaded to performe the other for there is no man that would not willingly haue peace but all are not willing to worke righteteousnesse yet be thou assured that if thou dost not loue peace's friend which is righteousnesse peace will neuer loue thee for righteousnesse and peace doe kisse each the other 2 King 9. You know what Iehu answered the King of Israel when he asked him Is it peace Iehu what peace can there bee so long as the whoredomes and witchcrafts of thy mother are so many So may we reply to euery soule vnquiet soule that enquireth after peace Looke for none where there is sinne Well may there bee the enemie assaulting and daily sounding alarums but this securing peace which is Gods garrison cannot bee there So long as the Iewes serued God their enemies could not inuade their borders Exod 34. but then the Temple was exposed to the enemie when the Prophets could not reclaime them from sin It is a good conscience that is a continuall feast You haue heard seuerally of the Peace and the Place you must now heare ioyntly of their knitting together who knits them and How He that knitteth them is God in Christ God is the God of peace so the Apostle calleth him Phil. 4.19 and the Prophet tels vs that he creates light as well as darkenesse and Elihu is so bold as to say Iob 34. that if God giue peace none can hinder it But as God giueth it so hee giueth it in Christ for it is his worke to make peace the Prophet Esay cap. 9. vers 6. calleth him the Prince of peace his true members are Sonnes of peace his Apostles Messengers of peace and his doctrine is the Gospell of peace all the foure specified degrees of peace were wrought by him First he tooke away the guilt of our sinne Esay 53. The chastisement of our peace was layd vpon him For he that knew no sinne was made sinne for vs that wee might be made the righteousnesse of God in him 2 Cor. 5. Secondly hee hath kild the worme for being iustified by faith in him our heart condemnes vs not and we haue confidence towards God so that we can come with boldnesse vnto the throne of grace Thirdly the Law of the spirit of life that is in Iesus Christ doth free vs from the Law of sinne and death Rom. 8. It mortifieth it subdueth the old man and maketh vs walke not according to the flesh but according to the spirit Finally he putteth an end to that discord that is betweene man and man The Prophets foretold that when hee
when God was reaching vnto Christ that Cup of vengeance whereof wee all should haue drunke for our sinne had not Christ eased vs of that bitter draught the preparation for that potion which should haue bin our porion kept Christ waking and praying it cast him into an agony and drew teares of bloud from all parts of his body While he is thus affected and afflicted for vs the Apostles are at rest as if these things did nothing concerne them which their sinnes no lesse than the sinnes of others poured vpon Christ It might haue been some ease to Christ if hee had seene them compassionately deuout certainly their senselesnesse added not a little to the bitternesse of his paine the more he suffered for them the greater impression should his suffering haue made in them and they should haue had the more fellow-feeling the nearer they were vouchsafed to be to his person You haue heard enough of the Apostles drowsinesse their sinne and degrees thereof it well deserued a Reproofe And Christ doth not spare them spare first to taxe their presumption that he doth in the first word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What One word but wherein is implied that the Apostles answered not that resolution which they pretended yea that they came so short that Christ could not but wonder at their drowsinesse Both these are implied in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What is all your boasting come to this is this the courage that you would shew in my defence did you conceiue so well of your selues and so liberally amplifie your seruice all proues but vanity all argues nothing but presumption It is a naturall disease of all the sonnes of Adam that if they haue but motes of vertue they thinke they are mountaines and presume that their actions goe hand in hand with their speculations Little children when they begin first to find their feet thinke they can goe as well and as far as those that are of riper age and this conceit maketh them take many a fall The most of vs are but babes in Christ and our iudgement erreth in nothing more than in taking an estimate of our ability wherein we come so short of performing what we promise to our selues that as we may blush so Christ may wonder and breake into this question 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What is it so so great words so small deeds certainly Man euen the best of men is altogether vanity Psal 39. his vaunts are nothing but the sparkles of his pride and hee presumeth aboue his strength For what is his strength surely very small the displaying of that is a second branch of Christs reproofe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Could ye not Your strength is very small you are much weaker than you suppose you thought not of it before you haue now giuen plaine proofe of it your drowsinesse represents it plainly before your eyes it telleth you how little you are able to performe But we must not mistake for inability is to be vnderstood not physically but morally they were not simply disinabled to watch for the instances before giuen in couetous ambitious and voluptuous men shew that men can if they will breake their sleepe and what they can that they doe when the world setteth them on worke but when Heauen enioynes them then how weake are they their affections haue no vigour they are soone tired and giue ouer at the first onset so that as the Prophet speaketh of the Iewes They were wise to doe euill but to doe good they had no vnderstanding at all so may we say of our affections they are strong to sinne but to doe good they haue no vigour at all Or rather men doe not put out their strength and they are conquered because they doe not resist And indeed drowsinesse were not a sinne were it not a mixt action wherein our willing eelding to our affections which we should represse makes vs to bee guilty and this Christ meaneth when he deliuereth his checke with an interrogation Could you not as if he should say you cannot well excuse your drowsinesse Behold then an example of humane frailty and wee must all behold our selues herein what Christ said to them he may well say to vs not one but is more or lesse touched with presumption and hath infirmities whereof hee neede to bee remembred the best voweth more than he performeth and in the presence of Christ discouereth his weaknesse let the time be neuer so short appointed for our deuotion our eares grow quickly heauie when they should heare God in his Word and our eies drowsie when we should behold him in our Prayers And what wonder if we watch so little out of the Church if wee sleepe so much in it Wee must therefore euery man take vnto himselfe this reproofe which Christ directeth vnto the Apostles euen the best must take it vnto themselues seeing Christ directs it vnto the best of his Apostles As we must take the reproofe so must we the aduice also which is the second maine point of my Text I come now to it The aduice is sutable to the reproofe for they were reproued for too much confidence and too little care and they are aduised to be more carefull Watch and lesse confident Pray But in ioyning of this point to the other wee must first obserue that though the Apostles gaue good cause yet Christ did not presently reiect them for vnto his reproofe he addes aduise giuing them to vnderstand that hee touched at their fault because hee would haue them take better heed Wherehence wee may learne how to deale with others wee must neither sooth them when they doe ill and we must try whether they may be brought for to doe well Let vs now come to the parts of the aduice they are two first Aperit oculos then Ministrat alas he rowseth them out of their sleepe and furnisheth them with helpe against their danger First hee doth rowse them The Syriac speaketh fully Euigilate and indeed they were asleepe therefore they were to be awakened before they could watch to shake off their drowsinesse before they could take heed As in naturall actions the impediment must bee remoued before the creature can moue according to his forme so in morall we must be freed from the opposite of Vertue before we can haue or vse the habit thereof But because Watching is principally intended therefore the precept runneth vpon that Watching then is compounded of two things of waking and heeding waking is solutio sensuum the keeping open of the passage whereby sense may be informed of his proper obiect Heeding is the iudgement wee passe vpon the obiect considering what it doth prognosticate vnto vs whether good or euill and our senses stand sentinell to giue a timely alarum when there is any approach of danger But as our senses are of two sorts inward and outward so is the watching also here is not onely a watch set in the outward man but in the inward man also And
cap. 4. by St. Paul Rom. 11. and he hath his name from Oyle Yea and what was his Crosse but the Oliue presse of Gethsemane that so strained him the true Oliue that his name became Oleum effusum Cant. 1. and the drops of Oyle that streamed from Christ haue anael'd many millions of men made Christians Iohn 18. Christ tooke delight to walke in this Garden intimating thereby that it was his delight so to be pressed with the Crosse But there is a third thing which we must marke in this place in Gethsemane he withdrew himselfe from his Disciples when he gaue himselfe to Prayer that he might more freely poure forth his soule vnto God hee retired himselfe from all company of men And indeed retirednesse is most fit for passionate and affectionate Prayers Many things may beseeme vs in priuate which in publicke are not fit the teares of the eyes the sobs of our tongues the beating of our breasts the interruptions of our affections the prostration of our persons the villifying of our selues expostulations with God and such like many of these modesty will stifle in company or they may be abused to vaine glory but priuacie taketh away all hope of the one as it giueth vs scope to bee free in the other Therefore Christ here by example teacheth that whereof in St. Matthew cap. 6. v. 5. he giueth a rule To pray in priuate to pray in our closet And many holy men haue not only practised Aug. Bern Anselm Heb. 10. but recorded also their soliloquies and priuate conferences that haue passed betweene God and their soules But this is not to be abused to the preiudice of the Communion of Saints or publicke Prayers they must be obserued St. Paul blameth them that neglected the Assemblies these priuate Deuotions must bee added ouer and aboue the publicke Christ that vsed these did not forbear the other no more must wee The last thing that I will note vpon this Cricumstance is that Christus separatus est in oratione qui separatus est in passione Christ associated none with him in this offertory Prayer more than he did in his propitiatory Sacrifice or Suffering vpon the Crosse he bids the Disciples pray for themselues he neuer bids them pray for him the glory of the Redemption is so wholly his that hee suffered none to haue the least share therein with him And so haue I vnfolded the Circumstances vnto you let vs now come to the Substance of the Prayer Wherein we must first see to whom it is directed And we finde that the person is the Father and indeed he ordained the Crosse and therefore there is reason that a prayer concerning the Crosse should be made vnto him Iewes and Gentiles wicked men and Angels had a hand in it but it was but a secondarie hand the primarie was Gods they did no more than was determined by him And God that determined it determined it as a Father out of the heart of a Father did hee ordaine it and hee did mannage it with a Fathers hand Had God beene as bowellesse as Adam was gracelesse the fall of man had beene as desperate as was the fall of Angels but God forgat not to be a Father when Adam forgat to be a Childe therefore out of his Fatherly affection did he prouide this recouerie of his lost childe he prouided that his only begotten Sonne should dye that his adopted sonnes might liue Neyther did he only ordaine it out of a Fathers heart but mannaged it also with a Fathers hand he included nothing in the ransome of the adopted Sonnes that tended not to the glory of the onely begotten Sonne neyther was Christ euer so handled by God as that God did not shew himselfe a Father vnto Christ We haue our afflictions and happely we acknowledge they come from God but that is not enough the Heathen did so much as many as acknowledge diuine prouidence acknowledge that from it commeth light and darkenesse peace and warre prosperity and aduersity But our Afflictions haue this proper name of the Crosse and when wee enquire after the Authour of them we must behold God in the person of a Father with this title must we sweeten his sowre prouidence Are wee left to the will of our enemies yet he that holdeth the bridle is a Father and they can doe no more than he will permit yea to him belong the issues of death and he will suffer no child to be tempted aboue his strength Doth God chastise vs himselfe as what childe is there whom the Father chastiseth not and by chastisement shewes that hee taketh him not for a bastard but for a sonne then paululum supplieij satis est patri his mercy will reioyce ouer his iudgement 1 Sam. 7. Heb. 12. he couenanted so with Dauid in the Old Testament and in the New Testament he warranteth as much by S. Paul Wherefore whensoeuer wee pray against the Crosse let vs not forget to pray vnto God as our Father As we must put vpon God the person of a Father when we pray to him so must wee not come to him but with the behauiour of a Childe Certainly Christ did not The behauiour of a Childe is Reuerence and Reuerence is a vertue compounded ex timore amore of awe and loue Christ expressed both these affections his Awe in an humiliation and in a compellation his Loue His Humiliation was the prostrating of his bodie He fell vpon the earth saith my Text St. Luke He fell vpon his knees St. Matthew He fell vpon his face all agree that he was humble very humble Humilitatem mentis habitu carnis ostendit the posture of his body made sensible the lowlinesse of his soule The distance betweene the Creatour and the Creature is so great that it may well beseeme the most glorious Angell in Heauen to fall downe low before his footestoole certainely the 24. Reu. 5. Elders cast downe not onely their Crownes but themselues also before his throne where they attend And if the distance of a Creature from his Creatour call for such behauiour what behauiour must a sinner vse when he appeareth before his iudge what humiliation of Body must true contrition of heart expresse must we not shew that we are vnworthy to looke to Heauen most worthy to bee reputed no better than vilenesse The Sonne of God in the forme of Man had but sinne imputed and yet we see here how thereupon he is humbled and how then should we villifie our selues in whom sinne is inherent We alwaies owe lowlinesse but wee should striue to intend it most when wee haue most neede to deprecate Gods wrath the greater need wee haue of mercie the more shew should wee make of our humilitie How doth this checke the stiffenesse of our knees the loftinesse of our lookes the inflexiblenesse of our bodies if we be richer if we be greater than others we thinke we may be more familiar shall I say nay more vnmannerly
more tentations no more foyles no more reproches euea when we shall fall asleepe we may lay our selues downe in peace and take our rest for Christ which only can will make vs dwell in safety As securely as himselfe rested in the graue so shall our flesh rest in hope there is the first taste of our victorie But when wee awake wee shall drinke our fill of it and shall with the Saints in the Reuelation yea in this Chapter insult and say O death where is thy sting O graue where is thy victorie Thankes bee vnto God which hath giuen vs victory through Iesus Christ our Lord. But he is Typus not only victoriae but vitae also and that of grace and glorie Fulgent p. 714. Of grace in Baptisme and of glorie at the last day so the Fathers distinguish Resurrectio carnis Christi gratiam nobis corporalis spiritualis resurrectionis attribuit it raiseth out of both sleepes the spirituall and corporall and they doe it by the direction of St. Paul for he makes him a Type of both but in a different fashion Of the first he is Typus analogicus of the second exemplaris Wee are buried with Christ in Baptisme that as Christ dyed and rose againe from the dead so should we walke in newnesse of life Rom. 6.3 Christ then in his Resurrection doth first preach vnto vs rising from sinne And indeed if the name Christus did imply the cause of his Resurrection the name of Christians must imply the cause of ours no hope of an answerable resurrection if we haue not a part in the vnction for the first resurrection doth fit vs for the second If we haue saith St. Paul Phil. 3 our conuersation in heauen we may looke for our Sauiour which shall change our vile bodies and make them like vnto his glorious body This all should thinke vpon that little intend the first and yet looke for the second Resurrection whereas a spirituall body can be the Tabernacle of none but a spirituall soule and wee must feele the answer of a good conscience to Godward before we can bee begotten to a liuely hope by the Resurrection of Iesus Christ Nyssen de opif. hom c. 22. yea wee must 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 foretaste glorie by the vse of grace And if a man haue the Spirit of grace Theophylact comforts him well Ne angaris animo quod mort ali corpore cinctus sis c. bee not disheartned when thou lookest vpon thy house of clay the Spirit of life that is in Iesus freeth vs from the Law as of sinne so of death for if the spirit of him that raised Iesus from the dead dwell in thy mortall body he that raised Iesus from the dead will also quicken thy mortall body by the spirit that dwelleth in thee Rom 8. There is one thing more noted by the first fruits Leuit. 1. they were put on the Altar but not burnt to note that they were ready for God without fire The Crosse of Christ hath made an end of all affliction there remaines nothing for vs but acceptation that wee bee presented vnto God in his Temple and receiued into those heauenly Tabernacles These be the things that the First fruits doe teach and whereof we may not doubt for therefore the Fathers tell vs that Christs resurrection is not only Auspex and Examplar but also fidei iussor Theodoret. yea chirographum nostrae resurrectionis they make a faire demonstration of it Primitiae habent cognationem cum vniuerso eo cuius sunt Primitiae the first fruits and that whose first fruits they are must needes be of the same kinde The cognation then is betweene Christs manhood and ours in that he opened vnto vs the new and liuing way Heb. 9. Non est dubit andum de consortio gloriae sicut non est dubit andum de consortio naturae And therefore the Fathers in the Primitiue Church testified their faith by standing vpright this day and many following daies while they prayed not onely to remember themselues whither their desires should tend but also to testifie that this day is quodammodo imagoventuri saeculi a representation of our blessed rising from the dead It is true that as the Easter first fruits were presented before those at Whitsontide so God hath put a distance between Christs resurrection ours we must stay our time yet the first fruits wils vs to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to bee as sure as if wee were already risen The last note that I will giue vpon Primitiae is that they are Primitia dormientium the first fruits of them that slept the same flesh awakes which slept that first slept in sinne and then for sinne And is not this a wonderfull mercie This flesh if you looke to the basenesse of it how much more if to the sinnefulnesse may seeme vnworthy of so great glorie but God doth vouchsafe it and leaues vs to stand and wonder at it He that could haue created new bodies chooseth rather to repaire our old that this our vnworthinesse might the more commend his goodnesse hee will make these quondam Iustfull eyes itching eares bloudy hands c. fit to doe him seruice in the kingdome of Heauen But it is time to conclude I will shut vp all with a few admonitions that spring from the Text. There is in euery man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a naturall querulousnesse against death This Text will silence it for the remembrance of the Resurrection 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Athanasius speakes furnisheth vs with a shield to quench that fiery dart it will make vs resolue that death is better than life because the passage to a better life For the Resurrection is Pascha Transitus death is not meta but via not our iournies end but the passage thereunto but it is to them that are Christians that are according to the inner man Temples of the holy Ghost for where grace is Leo de Pasch Serm. 13. there is the passage vnto glorie Quare appareant nun◠quoque in Ciuitate sancta i.e. in Ecclesia Dei futurae Resurrectionis indicia quod gerendum est in corporibus fiat in cordibus Let our renued hearts bee vnto vs a pledge that our bodies shall be renued But grace must be Paschall transitus sine reditu wee must so rise from sinne that we returne not like dogges to our vomit 1 Pet. 2. and like swine to our wallowing in the myre Serm 10. de Pasch St. Bernard complained of many in his dayes Qui sacram Domini Resurrectionem Paschae priuabant nomine to whom it was not Transitus but Reditus that though they kept the Feast for a day and did partake the Sacrament also yet after all this turned as good fellowes as euer they were before I would it were not so with vs also That it is so with the vulgar people the Tauernes can witnesse that are neuer better furnisht
considering that spirituall plagues are much more heauie than corporall and we should in our humiliation ioyne our cryes with those soules vnder the Altar that were slaine for the Word of God and the Testimony which they held saying How long O Lord holy and true doest thou not iudge and auenge our bloud on them that dwell in the earth Reuel 6.10 The Vse of all this first part of my Text that is the case of Sufferers is this That we know not God to halues God describeth himselfe to be Iust as well as Mercifull Exod. 34. and the sonne of Syrach tells vs Ecclus 5. that God is as mighty to punish as to saue therefore we must not look vpon onely Gods Mercy but vpon his Iustice also which is so palpable in the plagues And yet must wee not so plod vpon Gods Iustice as not to carry our eye from thence to his Mercy for as in the first case exprest in my Text we haue seene the Church suffering from Gods wrath so now in her second case we must behold her as a Suppliant hauing recourse vnto the Throne of grace And here first wee must obserue That though God for sinne be pleased to humble his Church yet doth hee afford her a meanes of reliefe whereby shee may come out of her greatest distresse And why God is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not a Destroyer but a Sauiour of his Church he doth not punish her but to recouer her as anon you shall heare more at large But though the Church be subiect to no more calamities than she hath remedy for yet of her manifold distresses the remedy is but one Penitent Deuotion is the onely remedy of all distresses And this Deuotion is here called by two names Prayer and Supplication The words in the Originall are fitted to the argument the first is Tephillah which is such a prayer as a prisoner maketh to him before whom hee is arraigned you may interpret it by those words in Iob cap. 9. I will make supplication to my Iudge And indeed a Penitent must so come to God as if he came to the Barre hee must suppose himselfe to bee an indited person And being such the second word will teach him what his plea must be euen a Psalme of Mercy for so Techinnah signifieth hee must come vnto God with Haue mercy vpon mee O God after thy great mercy Psal 51. and hee must pray with Daniel cap. 9. O Lord righteousnesse belongeth vnto thee but vnto vs confusion of faces In the Primitiue Church they had stationary dayes Tertullian saith their name is borrowed from warfare and Christians vpon that day putting on the whole armour of God did stand vpon their guardes against powers and principalities Serm. 36. and spirituall wickednesses in heauenly places St. Ambrose more plainly saith stationes vocantur Ieiunia quòd flentes ieiunantes in ijs inimicos repellamus These were the weekly fasting dayes Wednesdayes and Fridayes whereon Christians repaired to the Church and therein quasifactâmanu like an Armie with spirituall weapons of fasting and praying weeping and lamenting of their sinnes they put to flight all their ghostly enemies and remoued all the heauie pressures of the Church We keepe the dayes but haue lost the truevse of them It is much to bee wisht that they were restored againe and that thereon we did as our Fore-fathers were wont plye God in these sinnefull and wofull times especially with Tephillah and Techinnah the Prayers of guilty ones and Supplications for the mercy of God But more fully to rip vp this Deuotion so farre as wee are led by my Text obserue that it consisteth of two acts one inward and another outward The inward is a liuely sense of the Penitents euill case and an expression of his deuotion out of that sense Euery one of them must know the plagues of his owne heart Where first obserue that the plagues inflicted are corporall but the sense required is spirituall And why the originall of sinne is in the soule whereunto the body concurres but as a pliable instrument therefore God would haue the body serue by his smart to awaken the soule make it apprehensiue of Gods displeasure and tremble at his iudgements The word which we doe render plague doth signifie a wound now in the heart there may be a wound of sinne or a wound for sinne The wound of sinne 1. Pet. 2. is that which sinne giueth to the soule St. Peter tels vs that our sinfull lusts fight against the soule and in fighting giue the soule many a stabbe the sonne of Syrach expresseth this excellently All iniquity is as a two-edged sword the wounds whereof cannot bee healed Ecclus 21. And what meane we else when we say that sinne is mortall but that it giueth mortall wounds Besides this wound of sinne there is a wound for sinne you know that when a man in fight hath receiued a wound the Chirurgion must come with his instrument and search that wound scoure it and put the wounded man to a second paine euen so when wee haue wounded our soules with sinne wee must wound them a second time for finne if wee meane to be deuoutly penitent wee must be prickt at the heart we must rent our hearts we must breake our stonie hearts wee must melt our hearts we must poure forth our soules our spirit must be wounded within vs and our heart must be desolate This is that which God commanded the Iewes Leuit. 16.31 when hee bid them afflict their soules in the day of their solemne Fast This is that godly sorrow which St. Paul 2. Cor. 7.10 speaketh of sorrow not to be repented of Animae amaritudo est anima poenitentiae this vexing of our soules is the very soule of repentance As a penitent man hath these two wounds so he must know them but wee come very short of this all this mortall life of ours is nothing else but a masse of plagues full of temptations Iohn 7. and trauelleth with vanity of vanities and vexation of spirit Psal 38. all the sonnes of Adam doe daily suffer from the wrath of God in some thing or other and euerie one of vs may say as Augustus the Emperour sometimes said that he sitteth inter lachrymas suspiria betweene sighings and teares Certainly as the Christian world now standeth wee are encompast with lamentable spectacles both abroad and at home But many men are so hardened that they feele not their owne disease much lesse others yea so farre they are from feeling the ordinary plagues of man that they doe not feele the extraordinary ones wherewith God doth rowze sinnefull men Wherefore we must hold it for one of the gifts of grace wherewith God doth endue his children that they recouer againe the sense of godly sorrow And wee may well conclude that hee that is senslesse is gracelesse and they which haue no sense beare the heauiest plague The word doth carry with it not
and so doe King Dauids Penitentialls God commands wicked seruants to bee beaten Deut. 28. I will conclude thi◠point with two short admonitions one out of the Prophet Heare the rod and who sends it Micah 6. the other is out of the Psalme As the eye of a seruant looketh to the hand of his master and the eye of a mayden to the hand of her mistresse euen so our eyes looke vnto the Lord our God vntill he haue mercie vpon vs Psal 123. Other ceremonies were vsed by Penitents in the Old Testament and in the New especially who were wont to humble themselues vsque ad inuidiam coeli as ancient Writers doe Hyperbolize but with no ill meaning they did so farre afflict themselues for sinne that the very Saints in Heauen might enuie their deepe Humiliation But tantae seneritati non sumus pares those patternes are too austere for these dissolute times onely let mee obserue this vnto you that Repentance must be an Holocaust all our inward our outward senses should concurre to testifie our godly sorrow for sinne wee should suffer not one of them to take rest themselues or giue rest to God By this you may perceiue that Penitentiall Deuotion is an excellent Vertue but not so common as the world thinketh The last thing that I noted vpon this Deuotion is that it must be performed by euery one in particular and by the whole Congregation in generall for the same remedy serueth both the publike must take the same course which euery priuate man doth and euery priuate man must take the same course that the publicke doth The reason is because the Church is corpus Homogeneum and therfore eadem est ratio partis totius in the peformance of those religious dueties no man must thinke himselfe too good to humble himselfe neyther must any man thinke himselfe vnworthy to appeare before the Throne of grace In our priuate occasions wee must come by our selues and wee must ioyne with the publicke when the publicke wounds call vs thereunto as now we do and we haue comfortable Precedents for that which we doe in the Prophet Ioel and Ionas Behold how good and ioyfull a thing it is for brethren to dwell together in vnitie can neuer be more comfortably sung than at these religious meetings when as one man with one voyce and heart we present our deuotions before God I doubt not but as hopefully as humbly It is true that God in Ezechiel cap. 14. threatneth that if Noah Daniel and Iob were in Ierusalem as I liue saith the Lord God they shall deliuer neyther sonne nor daughter they shall but deliuer their owne soules by their righteousnesse when I send but a pestilence into the land how much more when I send my foure plagues The like is threatned in Ieremy cap. 15. But we must obserue that then God was risen from the Mercy Seat and in punishment of their many contempts had giuen the Iewes ouer to their owne hearts Iust But God be thanked this Assembly sheweth that we haue not so far forsaken God neyther hath God who hath put these things into the mind of the King and State so forsaken vs but wee may hope for Acceptance Which is the next part of my text What Israel performeth that will God accept for hee is as mercifull as iust Blessed are they that mourne saith Christ for they shall bee comforted Matth. 5. for Christ came to heale those that were broken in heart Luke 4. You aske saith St. Iames cap. 4. and haue not hee addeth a reason because yee aske amisse but if you aske aright then Christs rule is true Aske and ye shall haue seeke and ye shall find knocke and it shall be opened vnto you Mat. 7. He that shall confesse to Gods name and turne from his sins shall finde Acceptance with God for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the teares of repentance are not only not displeasing but pleasing to God as incense But Gods acceptance consisteth of two Acts the first is God will giue accesse vnto their Prayers Heare in heauen his dwelling place The prayers were to be made towards the Arke but God heareth in Heauen And what is the cause of this change why God should not heare there whither we direct our prayers Surely we must ascend from the Type to the Truth that is but a manduction to this It was a maine errour of the Iewes to diuorce them and haue in most esteeme the least part rest in the Type passing ouer the Truth Heauen is the place of Gods habitation only because the place of his manifestation The Septuagint render the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a place fitted for God to distinguish it from the Church below which is but a place a fitting The Chaldee rendreth it domum Maiestatis a maiesticall house And surely the place of Gods dwelling is locus amplus et angustus a large a stately Palace adorned with holines glory And when wee thinke vpon God wee must not conceiue of his state by things below but by things aboue the earth is but as a point vnto the visible heauens much more in comparison of the Heauen of Heauens and they though they are the goodliest place created yet are they not a worthy habitation for the infinite maiestie of God onely he vouchsafeth there most to manifest himselfe The Church that is resembled to heauen and called Gods dwelling place must be remembred hereby that God must not dwell therein or in any member thereof angustè or sordidè We must inlarge our hearts to receiue God and purifie them that they may somewhat beseeme the Residentiary therein which is God Finally it is no small fauour that God doth vouchsafe to heare that beeing in heauen hee doth vouchsafe to heare vs that are on earth for sometimes hee hideth himselfe as it were with a Cloud Lam. 3. so that our prayers cannot haue accesse vnto him and our sinnes separate between him and vs and he is as if he heard not not that the eare of iealousie heareth not all things but he is not pleased to giue a gracious signification that hee doth heare But the spirituall clamor of the contrite expressed from the secret closet of the inward man hath the power of a loud voyce and piercing which can enter the heauens and approach acceptably vnto God God will not onely heare and giue accesse to the Prayers of the penitent but redresse their sufferings also Quando non geniculationibus nostris jeiunationibus etiam siccitates sunt depulsae saith Tertullian what calamitie was there euer which wee haue not diuerted by our penitent deuotion The Prayer of a righteous man auaileth much if it be feruent Iames 5. But God doth redresse the sufferings of Israel orderly first he redresseth the cause which is sinne and then the effect which is woe He will forgiue and then He will doe and giue neyther may a sinner looke for peace except he first speede of mercie
these prerogatiues and therfore it preacheth vnto vs that which Canaan preached to Israel Amendment of life and constancy therein The second Motiue which the place doth yeeld is the tenure thereof God saith Salomon gaue it to our fathers they held in franck Almoigne and God telleth vs in the Psalme that hee gaue it them to this end that they might keep his statutes and obserue his Lawes And should not men bee dutifull vnto God when God is so liberall vnto men Wee may thinke haply that this doth not concerne vs because we came otherwise by our Lands If we thinke so wee plod too much vpon the second causes but we must know that whether we come by them by purchase or by gift we are beholding vnto Gods blessings for the mony wherewith wee purchase and for their good will which bestow it on vs and the same God that could haue hindred vs of both can strip vs of both at his pleasure But to shut vp the matter of my Text. You see the end of Gods plagues and of his mercy They doe sollicit vs to returne in time This doth call vpon vs not to bee weary of well-doing Wherefore let vs entertaine Gods chastisements prudently let vs not contemne them because they are fearefull and the contempt of this temporall will but procure vs eternall wrath at least in this life God may rise from smaller vnto greater plagues Nor let vs despaire because God is mercifull yea he hath shewed a great deale of mercy in that multi corriguntur in paucis in presenting before vs some few mens harmes hee bids vs all beware and what should our praier be but Domine ne in supplicijs nostrie alios erudiamus Let not vs by thy heauy hand bee made examples to others cum liceat nobis aliorum cruciatibus emendari whereas if wee haue grace other mens corrections may be our instructions To you of this assembly let me say boldly That the greater we are in place and power the greater share should we haue in this worke of Repentance by our example we should teach the people compunction for sin correction of life the two most preuailing folliciters of Gods mercy and preseruers of a State God forbid that it should be with vs as it was with Israel Ier. 5. Amos 6. that God should find the great men more sons of Belial than the meaner sort it would be a shrewd prognostication of very euill dayes to come This day promiseth better things I pray God the continuance be answerable and that we repent not that wee haue resolued to repent but that euery day sinne may more and more dye in vs and grace liue more and more if we do so we may be sure that though for a time we sow in teares yet in due time wee shall reape in ioy Nothing remaineth now that I haue for your greater edifications opened and applied the pious assertions that are contained in my text but that wee should returne it againe into that forme wherein King Salomon conceiued it and make it our common petition vnto God LOrd there is great feare of a famine the pestilence hath entred already far vpon vs by the enemies of thy truth and our peace we are forced to prepare for war we knowing euery man the plague of his owne heart cast our selues downe before thy Throne of Mercy deprecating thy wrath and supplicating for grace beseeching thee to take off thy heauie hand from vs and fight for vs against our enemies because without thee vaine is all the strength of man Heare thou in heauen thy dwelling place forgiue do and giue to euery man of vs according to his waies Thou which only knowest the hearts of all men that we may fear thee all the dayes which we liue in this good Land which thou hast giuen to our fathers And bee vouch safed after this life to attend thy Throne with thy blessed Saints in the Kingdome of Heauen Amen יהוה TWO SERMONS PREACHED in WELLS at the Ordination of MINISTERS THE FIRST SERMON MATTH 28. Vers 18 19 20. All power is giuen vnto mee in Heauen and in Earth Goe ye therefore and teach all Nations baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the Holy Ghost Teaching them to obserue all things whatsoeuer I haue commanded you And lo I am with you alway euen vnto the end of the world Amen THese words contain one of the last solemne acts which our Sauiour Christ performed immediately before he ascended into Heauen and that was his sending of his Apostles to conuert the world In this act our Sauiour Christ doth informe them first of his owne right to send All power is giuen me both in Heauen and in Earth then of the errant whereupon they were to be sent Goe yee therefore and teach all Nations baptizing them c. But more distinctly About Christs right our first enquiry must be of what sort the power here mentioned is and wee shall finde that it is heauenly and my Text will teach vs that this heauenly power of Christ is lawfull because giuen vnto him and full because in it selfe vnlimited it is All power and extendeth to euery place it worketh both in Heauen and Earth Vpon this power of Christ is grounded the Apostles Embassage that must you gather out of the Illatiue Therefore In the Apostles embassage or errant we will consider their common charge and comfort In the charge we shall see 1. What they must doe they must Goe Ite 2. To whom they are sent and whereabout They are sent farre and wide Goe yee to all Nations That which they must doe is to winne them vnto Christ teach them or as the Originall hath it make them Disciples If they preuaile with any if any entertaine the Gospell then they are to consecrate their persons vnto God Baptize them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost and to worke their obedience wholly conformable to euery one of those precepts which themselues had receiued from Christ Teach them to doe all things whatsoeuer I haue commanded you This is their common charge Their common comfort standeth in the powerfull and perpetuall assistance of Christ Assistance He is with them and this presence is powerfull for he that is present is Ego I that haue all power both in Heauen and Earth and it is perpetuall Hee is with them alwayes vnto the worlds end Alwayes without intermission vnto the worlds end therefore not onely with their owne persons but also with their successors Vpon this common comfort they must all fixe their eyes Ecce Behold it and their faithfull prayer must hopefully expect it so much is meant by the close of all Amen These bee the particulars which offer themselues in this Text to our consideration I will God willing speake of so many of them as the time will permit Consider you what I say and the Lord giue you a right vnderstanding in
banes not of Learning only but of Religion also St. Paul is one worker but there is another also which is Gods grace God doth not endow vs and then leaue vs to our free will if hee did so our endowing grace would quickly perish or doe nothing therefore hee giues a second grace to the operant he addes a cooperant That must worke also The reason is euident whether you cast your eies vpon the common workes of pietie or else vpon the speciall workes of the Ministrie See it first in the speciall workes of Pietie If our vnderstanding and our heart be left in their pure naturals the one will neuer perceiue the other wil neuer sauour the things that are of God therefore must the one be lightned the other must bee purged by grace otherwise they will neuer comprehend their obiect they will neuer bee able to doe any supernaturall worke How much lesse will they bee able to doe it their naturals being corrupted as by sinne they are But before in the endowment we found a man indued with grace and here we finde mention made of grace againe wherefore wee must obserue that God vouchsafeth a man a double grace an habituall and an actuall a grace that giueth him abilitie and a grace that setteth his abilitie on worke Touching habituall grace that is true which St. Basil hath De Spiritu sancte c. 26. it is semper presens but not semper operans it may be in vs and yet be idle he expresseth it by a similitude of the eye sight wherewith a man may see oftner than he doth see De Natura gratia c. 26. St. Austin vseth that simile more fully to our purpose vt oculus corporis etiam plenissimè sanus nisi candore lucis adiutus non potest cernere c. as the sharpest eye-sight can discerne nothing except it haue the help of outward light no more can a man perfectly iustified liue well except he be holpen from aboue with the light of the eternall Iustice Neither is this cooperation of grace a transeunt but a permanent Act so the same Father teacheth Sicut Aer praesente lumine non factus est lucidus sed fit quia si factus esset non fieret sed etiam absente lumine lucidus maneret sic home Deo sibi praesente illuminatur absente autem continuo tenebratur Gods grace in man is like the light of the Ayre the one steeds our bodily eye so long as it is maintained by a perpetuall influence of the Sunne and the other steeds our soules so long as it is excited and helped by the holy spirit and grace will be as vnfruitfull without this helpe of the Spirit as the light of the ayre will be fading if you intercept the influence of the Sunne So that a mans soule must be like vnto the Land of Canaan vpon which the eyes of the Lord were from the beginning of the yeare to the ending to giue it the former and the later raine Deut. 11. our sufficiencie and our efficiencie must be both from God Neyther is this second grace needfull only for the work of Pietie but for the workes of the Ministrie also the Lampes that burne in the Temple must continually bee fedde with oyle St. Paul though hee calleth vs Labourers yet he calleth vs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there is another Labourer with vs. And indeed as Moses told God If thou wilt not goe with vs send vs not hence so vncomfortable were the worke of the Ministrie were it not for Christs promise Lo I am with you vntill the worlds end if he did not hold the starres in his hand they would quickly become wandring quickly become falling stars Besides our selues therfore we must acknowledge another Worker Hauing found the two workers wee must now see what was eyther of their preheminencie First the preheminencie of St. Paul He laboured more than all the word all must be vnderstood not collectiuely but distributiuely He was not so arrogant as to equall himselfe to the whole either Church or Ministrie but to any one he might wel equall himselfe he might well affirme that not any one did equall him in labour But it is a question whom he meaneth by All whether only false Apostles or also true There is no doubt but he went beyond all the false Apostles if he went beyond the true And he went beyond the true it is euident if you consider the circuit of his trauell which is described Rom. 15. and in the Acts especially if you adde that he planted Churches wheresoeuer he came and enlarged the Kingdome of Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as himselfe speaketh Adde hereunto his many Epistles sent to so many remote places and persons so profoundly opening the mysteries of saluation and resoluing the hardest knots thereof But aboue all things take notice of the two Supporters of his paines with which no man euer bore himselfe out more resolutely they are the prouerbiall Sustine Abstine How did he despise all profit all pleasure that would take no salary for his paines but laboured with his owne hands that hee might make the Gospell of Christ free that when he might lead about a Wife a Sister as Cephas and the other Apostles did made himselfe an Eunuch for the Kingdome of heauen You see what his Abstine was or despising of profit and pleasure As for his Sustine enduring of afflictions that was no lesse remarkeable reade but the eleuenth of the second to the Corinths there we finde them collected to our hands and what kinde of Affliction is there which wee doe not finde there if you reade it you will say he was a manifold Martyr I cannot dwell longer vpon this point only this I obserue though no man can suffer or abstaine more than he should or labour beyond his dutie supererrogations of any of those kindes are Popish dreames as they expound them yet may one man goe farre beyond another and some there are which are Miracula hominum they may rather be admired than imitated And such was St. Paul Neither was he such a Pastor only but such a Christian also and indeed his Sustine and Abstine must be referred to his grace of Adoption though they did attend his grace of Edification But if that will not suffice see how he did buffet his bodie and keep it vnder lest while he preached to others himselfe should become a reprobate 1 Cor. 9. when he was buffeted with the messenger of Sathan 2 Cor. 12. hee neuer left importuning Christ with his prayers till Christ answered him My grace is sufficient for thee my strength is made perfect in weakenesse his constant care was to keepe an inoffensiue conscience towards God and men Acts 26. But aboue all places reade and exemplifie those two memorable descriptions of a true religious heart striuing against sinne Rom. 7. and making towards heauen Phil. 3. you cannot better see his Pietie and learne to bring your owne to
Iudgement God and the King are your warrant you may take the sword But your power must bee put in practice you must vse it against Malefactors Peccare peccantes non cohibere iuxta putato saith Agapetus to the Emperour the proper sinne of the Magistrate is not to represse sinners and sinners are they that doe not the Law Iudgement hath two workes as the law hath two parts The parts of the Law are Proeceptum Sanctio the workes of iudgement are Conuiction and Execution The King followes this methode in his commission hee will not haue any executed before he be conuicted St. Basil in an Epistle to Eustathius Bishop of Sebastia doth excellently describe the manner of the Iudges proceeding in his daies Quirerum potiuntur in hoc mundo quando facinorosum aliquem sunt vindicaturi cortinas obducunt c. The Iudges in temporal causes when they are to sentence a malefactor retire themselues desire to heare what the wisest of their assistants can say in defence of the arraigned they pause long sometimes beholding the prisoner sometimes reflecting their eyes vpon themselues as communicating with him in the same nature and feelingly bemone his case whose life they must cut off not moued thereunto by any passion of their owne but performing that seruice which is vndeniably imposed vpon them by the Law The Law then must speake before the Iudge and not the Iudge before the Law for iudicium legis is iudicium solius rationis but iudicium hominis est iudicium rationis libidinis no man murmures if his doome be euidently the voice of the Law though it bee a very grieuous doome but let it bee neuer so light if it bee onely the voyce of a man hee is very patient that doth not murmure at it The King therefore doth wisely subiect his people to the Law and wills the Iudges to vse that for their rule and try therewith who deserues the stroke of the sword and all Iudges must subscribe to Ireneus his note Indumentum iustitiae leges habet Magistratus if a Magistrate would be reputed iust he must referre euerie mans case to bee ordered by the vnaffectioned Law Secondly marke that a malefactor is described not by doing against the Law but by not doing of the Law the reason whereof is The first intention of the Law is the working of the common good It should be in the world of men as it is in the world of other creatures euerie thing furthereth the felicitie of the whole he is not worthy to bee a member of a State by whom the State is no whit the better The Romanes wel vnderstood it when they instituted their Censors to inquire into euerie mans course and to note them with infamie that could not giue an account of some good vse of their life It is pitifull to consider how many there are in this Land whose glorie is their shame as the Apostle speaketh the Chronicle of whose life was long since summed vp by the Poet Nos numerus sumus fruges consumere nati c. no better than cyphers if you respect the common good they doe but if you looke vnto the common euill they are the vipers of the State Surely they doe not the Law which they should but which they should not they doe against the Law they are daily seene and who doth not know them I meane riotous swaggerers and masterlesse vagabonds but by whose default I know not few are challenged fewer punished and so they swarme because they feele not the sword and yet they are the proper obiect of the sword For whereas St. Paul Rom. 13. expresseth two vses of the sword one the laude of them that doe well the other the terrour of them that doe euill this commission remembers only the later the reason whereof is giuen by Ireneus Quoniam absistens à Deo homo in tantum efferauit imposuit ei Deus humanum timorem vt moderentur ad inuicem in manifesto positum gladium timentes Had there been no fall there should haue beene a power indeede in man ouer man but it should haue beene only directiue it is now coerciue also wee neede now not only correction for doing ill but coaction also to do well and this is the principall employment of the sword whereunto accords that of St. Paul Lex non est posita iusto if all men were good euerie man would bee a law vnto himselfe but there are few that can guide themselues too many that will not bee guided by others Aristotle and those the Philosopher calleth fooles of whom you know Salomon saith Arod must bee for the backe of fooles The Magistrate must vse the sword against them And he must vse it without delay Sero medicina paratur cum mala per longas conualuere moras is no lesse true in the politicke than in the naturall bodie whether wee consider the corrigiblenesse of the delinquents or the preseruation of the State both should bee intended by iudgement but both grow desperate through delay In the heart of euerie man there are principles of honestie which when first lust casts into a slumber the Magistrate may awaken to checke sinne by holding him in that was running riot but if the Magistrate winke Consuetudo peccati obducit callum conscientiae by impunitie men will grow senslesse and shamelesse the Preacher confirmes it Because sentence against an euill worke is not executed speedily Eccles 8. therefore the heart of the children of men is fully set in them to doe euill Secondly sinne is like a contagious disease it will spred like a leprosie especially where the law of leprosie is not in force and where the wicked are not forced by the stroke of the sword to cry vnto the sound that approach them I am vncleane I am vncleane Leuit. 14. And so in time conniuencie breeds vitia adulta praeualida as Tacitus calleth them and a State becomes like Rome of which Liuie speaketh Neque vitia neque remedia ferre possumus though the sinnes bee so strong that they vuioynt the whole State yet the patient growes so tender that it will sooner dye than endure the setting of the ioynts againe How neere wee are to our Climactericall yeare I leaue it to the Statesman to consider onely this I will remember you that a Iudge which is a Father in his Countrey must be a louing Father and of such a one Salomon speaketh Pro. 13. Hee that loueth his sonne correcteth him betime Or if a louing Father be too meane a precedent imitate a good King King Dauid Betimes saith he Psal 101 will I rise to roote out the wicked Or if you will goe higher learne of God who speakes thus vnto Cain Genesis 4. If thou dost ill in foribus peccatum that is as the Sonne of Syrack speaketh Ecclus 35. The Lord will not be slacke the Almighty will not tarry long till hee hath smitten in sunder the loynes of the vnmercifull and
auenged himselfe of the heathen This I presse the rather because 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Nazianzene speakes It is a very dangerous thing to be ouer prodigall of mercie for it is nothing else but an occasion of crueltie when rancke sinnes will not be cured without letting of great quantitie of blood a little seuerity in time would preuent a great deale of crueltie I will not say but somewhat that will resemble it which the iniquitie of the times doth hasten to wrest from you or which is worse to bring vpon the State You see the admonition that ariseth from this place is that your feet bee not nimium lanei lest your hands proue nimium ferreae you must strike soone that you may not strike too often or too deepe But it is not enough that you proceede timely except you proceede vnpartially you must proceede against whomsoeuer Gods Law is Deut. 1. Leuit. 19. Iâ—â— magnum paruum iudicabis Thou shalt not regard the poore because hee is poore nor the rich because he is rich there is no respect of persons in God neither should there be in his Lieutenants A Iudges sentence must be like a true looking glasse it must represent euerie mans case as the glasse doth his countenance neyther embellishing nor deforming it And no maruell for seeing they are Physitians of the State and sinnes are the diseases of it what skils it whether a gangrene beginne at the head or the heele seeing both wayes it will kill if the part that is diseased be not cut off Except this be the difference that the head being nearer the heart a gangrene in the head will kill sooner than that which is in the heele euen so will the sinnes of great ones ouerthrow a State sooner than those of the little ones But yet I know not how wee are more prouident for our naturall body than wee are for the politique curing in that first the principall parts and in this the lesse principall if wee cure them The vanity of which course Sigismund the Emperour well obserued in the generall Councell when vpon the motion that it was fit to reforme the whole Church one said Then let vs begin at the Minorites nay rather saith the Emperour at the Maiorites for if the great ones be good the mean ones cannot easily be ill but be the meane ones neuer so good the great will be nothing the better Iohn 7. I end this point with the saying of Christ Nolite iudicare secundum faciem sed iustum iudicium iudicate and I wish you the zeale of Phyneas Numb 25. that spared not Zimri or Cosbi though the one were a Princes sonne of Simeon and the other a Princes daughter of Madian so may it be imputed to you for righteousnesse and to your seed after you And thus leauing the conditions to bee obserued in the vse of your power I come to the limitations of the power it selfe The limitations are two first of the lawes There are diuine and humane lawes the Magistrate must proceed against the violaters of both against them that will not doe the law of God against them that will not do the law of the King Prou. 24. he must be Custos vtriusque Tabulae look to the obseruing of Salomons Feare God the King or Christs a greater than Salomons Giue vnto Caesar the things that are Caesars Matth. 24. and vnto God the things that are Gods he must conioyne both and acknowledge Dominum Dominum my Lord God and my Lord the King But with this difference that the one is an absolute Lord the other but subordinate the one commands as in his owne right the other but in the right of God Secondly as are the Lords so are their lawes Gods must haue the first place the Kings but the second And no maruell seeing Gods lawes are primitiue the Kings but deriuatiue nay the substance of euery law is from God it is but the determination of some circumstance that is left vnto the power of the King In lawes meerly morall Thou shalt not kill Thou shalt not steale c. the King hath power onely in regard of the Sanction not that God hath left it in his choice whether these sinnes shall or shall not be punished but to his discretion hee hath left it how and how farre the good of the State requires to haue them punished In things meerly indifferent because many things are lawfull in regard of that liberty which we haue from God which are not expedient in that society whereof we are parts with other men the Kings lawes may impose precepts and that vnder paines but still prouiding that the law of nature yea and of grace too may stand with them and be not impaired by them nay nature and grace must in a Christian Common-weale giue the first light vnto them Adde hereunto that Gods lawes binde the conscience immediately as hauing power in themselues to make things good or euill but the Kings lawes binde but mediately as the King hath authority from God and is in the promulging of his lawes the Minister of God So that although you must looke to both yet must not your care be of both alike for both are not of like worth there must be an eminency in the care of Gods lawes aboue the care of the Kings Yea there is a necessity too for as Nazianzene speakes of Iouinian the Emperour 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It was Princely wisedome in him to protect the truth because the truth could best support him Kings lawes are neuer so readily obeyed as where the people are religiously disposed and Magistrates which neglect the care of Gods lawes doe but teach the people how to vilifie theirs But you must be sure that the God be the God of Ezra the true God this is the first caution so were these Iudges and so must you be you must not maintaine false religion or persecute the true vnto the seruice of this true God you may lawfully compell St. Augustine obserues it in the Parable of the Marriage Feast And that it is profitable you may perceiue also in the same Parable for of many that were compelled wee finde but one that came without his wedding garment the rest had their part in the Feast God himselfe in Osea saith Cap. 2. That he will hedge the Iewes way with thornes so that they should not breake through to follow their spirituall fornication but withall pricke themselues and marke what followes the Iewes bethought themselues thereupon and said I will returne to my first husband and that was God for it was then better with me than it is now Nazianzene a man of a meeke spirit as appeareth in his writings had obtained some patience to be vsed toward the Apollinarists but when hee saw how ill it succeeded hee wrote backe to the President of the Countrey 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 My intercession was vnseasonable for these wicked men will not make so
carried towards heauen and heauenly things while our thoughts doe so stoope wee approach that fire of which Saint Iames speakes that it setteth the tongue on fire and wee may well say that the whole frame of nature is set on fire thereby so set on fire that it is melted so melted that it is dissolued There is a threefold band 1. betweene GOD and Man 2. betweene superiours and inferiours 3. betweene those that are equals In those that come neare this fire they are melted all there continueth no communion betweene God and vs for want of piâ—tie no communion betweene superiours and inferiours neyther respects the other as it ought nor any commerce between equals each doth endeauour to deuour the other But to open this a little plainer From our bodie naturall wee must learne what an euill this melting is in the bodie politicke In the bodie naturall if a ioynt bee dissolued wee finde a double euill the part groweth weake in it selfe and troublessome to the neighbour parts as you may see in an arme out of ioynt it is weake it selfe and a burthen vnto the next part whereupon it resteth beeing not able to sustaine it selfe the same falleth out in the policique melting Men through disorder grow weake themselues and they are troublesome to others weake they are though their lusts bee strong because that strength is not of the man who should bee a reasonable creature but it is of a beast of the sensuall part of a man Hee that rideth a fierce horse let the horse keepe what pace hee will so long as the rider commandes him by the bridle wee say hee rides strongly but if the horse get the bit in his mouth and runne away the faster his pace the weaker the rider because hee cannot checke him Our affections are as that fierce horse and our reason should bee as a strong bridle stirre they neuer so much if reason commaund wee are strong but if reason haue no power and they runne loose then certainely the more violent they are the weaker are wee Wee speake significantly when wee say that a man transported by his passions is an impotent man and wee therein imitate the phrase of GOD himselfe who by the Prophet reproouing Iudah for her vnsatiable spirituall fornication saith How weake is thy heart Drunkards and murtherers adulterers and all kinde of dissolute liuers thinke themselues very stronge because they haue their full forthe in sinne but let them not deceiue themselues they are melted they are dissolued this is but a weakenesse they haue lost that strength not onely wherewith God created them vnto vertue but euen that strength wherewith humane policie doth strengthen them vnto ciuill societie they are vnprofitable therefore But that is not all the euill A member out of ioynt is not only vnseruiceable it selfe but also painefull to the other partes And whosoeuer groweth disordered as hee weakeneth himselfe so is hee mischieuous to others adulterers to other mens wiues murtherers to their persons robbers to their goods slanderers to their good name it is the condition of all sins they disorder policies That which I obserue vnto Iudges herein is that they should not onely take notice of the facts vpon which they sit Iudges but to stirre vp in themselues the zeale of iustice should diligently consider these two things which cleaue vnto euery such fact the weakenesse and the annoyance of the malefactour hee is not what hee should bee seruiceable to the State and what hee should not bee hee is mischieuous vnto others So much is implyed when hee is said to bee dissolued But let vs see of whom this melting or dissoluing is affirmed The earth and all the inhabitants thereof are dissolued Some take these words according to the figure 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and resolue them thus All the inhabitants of the earth are dissolued as if the melting and dissoluing did concerne onely the persons yea and point out also such persons as are apt to bee dissolued namely those that haue their thoughts and affections grouelling vpon the earth We haue a distinction in Saint Paul of the two ADAMS The first was of earth earthly the second was the Lord from Heauen as is the earthly so are they that are earthly and as is the heauenly so are they that are heauenly 1. Corinth 15. they are so in this that the earthly is easily dissolued but the heauenly is not if wee did set our affections on things aboue and not on things below if wee had our conuersation in Heauen and would bee though in the world yet not of it wee neede not feare melting wee should not bee dissolued but while wee grow more like the old Adam than the new while wee set our affections on things below and sauour onely the things of earth no wonder if wee melt if wee bee dissolued The Admonition for vs all is to keepe vs to the example of CHRIST yea to let CHRIST liue in vs let our hearts bee possessed with the loue of Heauen and Heauenly things so shall wee not proue melting or disordered members of the State But the words may bee taken as they lye in my Text and the dissoluing may bee applyed no lesse to the earth than to the inhabitants thereof both may bee dissolued both may melt But then wee must obserue a distinction There is a penall and there is a sinnefull melting the earth is subiect to a penall but the sinnefull is that whereunto men onely are subiect and being subiect thereunto cause the earth to bee subiect to the other A fruitfull land may become barren and a healthy Countrey become contagious yea a Countrey that is like the Garden of GOD as Sodome was may become a salt a dead Sea as Sodome is which is the penall melting or dissoluing thereof But this befalleth not except the people sinne and the crye of their sinne come vp vnto God Maledicta terra propter te hath a constant truth there is neuer any penall melting where a sinnefull melting hath not gone before The Vse that I would make hereof is That when wee see plagues wee should thereby bee put in minde of sinnes the Magistrate should bestirre himselfe thereabout especially hee should inquire after crying sinnes GOD taught this lesson to Ioshua when the Israelites fled before the men of Ai Ioshua rent his clothes and fell to his prayers and so did others with him a good worke you would thinke in such a case to deprecate the wrath of GOD but GOD telleth Ioshua that he should intend another worke Vp saith hee what makest thou here Israel hath sinned therefore they cannot stand before their enemies Goe thou and correct that sinne and that sinne was but the sinne of one how much more must hee doe it if as in the Text All the inhabitants bee dissolued The more sinners the more speed must the Magistrate make and there can be no more than All. But All may bee vnderstood eyther of singula
the Sunne a God and giue the price of the Creatour vnto his creature whereas they should haue argued from it vnto him and conceiued the eminencie of his goodnesse from whom such good things did proceed And wee shall not be farre from Idolatrie if the comfort of peace and Religion affecting vs our hearts ascend no higher then the immediat cause thereof which is our King and wee doe not giue glorie vnto God which out of his loue to vs hath set him vpon the Throne if we doe not discerne that The Lord hath made our Day What our sinnes were that might haue hindered it I need not tell you the Pestilence that did attend the dawning of the Day was an intimation from God how vnworthie wee were but his pleasure was that we should fall into his hands not into the hands of our enemies For as we were vnworthie so they were inraged witnesse their treason that immediatly was discouered manifold plots of treason but all defeated by the prouidence of God Wherefore we must say not only that wee haue a Day but also that the Day which we haue was made by the Lord and conclude Not vnto vs O Lord not vnto vs but vnto thy name be prayse Deus fecit is not enough to the making of a Festiuall the Church must come in with Haec est dies when God goeth before in working something in the Time the Church must not bee behind in giuing the due estimate to the time we must not esteeme all dayes alike when God doth not worke alike vpon all But nothing is required of vs to the making of a Festiuall but only acknowledgment of Gods Worke take a view of all the Festiuals of the Iewes you shall find that they did no more no more then commemorate that on such a day God did doe such a worke And the Christian Church hath trod the very same steps and hath not thought it fit to suffer any of the remarkable workes of God to passe vnregarded whether they concerne the whole Church or any particular State they haue stamped vpon the time of those workes Haec est Dies This is not a day to bee forgotten and therefore haue enioyned the Anniuersarie Commemoration thereof Yea and euery priuate Family and person that hath receiued any extraordinarie blessing from God may make vnto himselfe such an Aniuersarie and refresh the memorie of that time wherein God hath done him some great good And let this suffice for the discreet distinction of times Let vs now see how religiously we must solemnize them Though to the making of the Day no more be required of vs then this acknowledgement Haec est Dies This is the Day yet to the vsing of it more is required here wee must consider What must be done and How That which must be done I reduced to two Heads First we must take full comfort in the Day and secondly pray for the happie continuance thereof In expressing the comfort the Psalmist vseth two words which are fitted to the two principall parts of man his bodie and his soule so the vse of them in the Originall Language teacheth and Venerable bede doth so distinguish them Exultemus corpore laetemur animo let the bodie as it were dance for ioy and the soule reioyce Both partake of the Day the bodie principally of the Ciuill Day and of the Spirituall Day the Soule is the principall partaker yet so as that each in either doth congratulate the other if the Day bee Ciuill the soule congratulates the bodie the bodie which is exultant for his day if the day be spirituall then the bodie congratulateth the soule the soule that is gladded at the heart for her Day So then the bodie cannot exult but the Soule will bee glad neither can the soule be glad but the bodie will exult there is a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the word Nos let Vs Exulte let Vs reioyce noteth that what is proper to either part redounds to the whole person And the Holy Ghost in coupling of both these words doth put vs in minde that neither part must be wanting in performing of this worke because either part doth share in the Day and so you shall find that King Dauid doth oftentimes rowse his soule and rowse his bodie also to performe this Eucharisticall Sacrifice he remembreth Carnem Cor his flesh and his spirit his glorie that is his tongue and all that is within him And no maruell for he would recommend himselfe as well to God as to men and wee must thinke that our workes of Pietie are imperfect if either part be wanting But as when the Moone and the Sunne doe meet aboue the Horizon and each doth contribute his light to the making of a Day the light of the Moone is not sensible in comparison of the light of the Sunne so should the impression which is made by worldly things which are as changeable as the Moone be dimme or darkened as it were by the impression made by spirituall things which are more constant then the Sunne And the ioy of our bodies must so be tempered as may not hinder the predominant gladnesse of our soule all the world must see that though wee prize both the Dayes the ciuill and the spirituall yet the rate which we set vpon the spirituall doth infinitely exceed that which wee set vpon the Ciuill If this lesson were well learned the world should not haue so many wofull experiments of those who being put to their choice whether they will lose had rather enioy the ciuill day with the losse of the spirituall then by sticking to the spirituall hazard the ciuill but we must chuse rather to be glad in soule then exult in bodie if we cannot doe both together But whether we doe expresse our comfort by one only by the bodie or also by the soule we must keepe both parts vnto their proper Obiect that is to the Day though wee expresse our affections by meats drinkes triumphs and other solemnities yet may we not while we signifie our ioy by them exulte or ioy in them And yet behold the most part of men little thinke on the Day their thoughts and senses are taken vp for the most part with the Accessories eating drinking c. they doe these things more freely and are more frolicke then ordinarie the state of the Common-Weale or of the Church commeth little into their thoughts it is not much remembred at their Feasts To remedie this the Church hath appointed that we should begin this solemnitie in the Church there first heare in how good case we are and breake forth there into spirituall prayses and thankesgiuings and make a religious acknowledgment of our blessed Day Of our blessed Day but not forgetting the Author thereof God that hath made vs such a Day No hee must bee the principall Obiect of our reioycing If wee exclude him or giue him not the first place we shall not be farre from the sinne of the
that we should bow before him the knees of our hearts no lesse then the knees of our bodies when we lift vp our hands vnto GOD we should lift vp our Soules also and our eyes should not behold Heauen but our faith should pierce vnto the Throne of GOD. Finally there is no Ceremoniall Law which should not attend some Morall as the shadow doth the body or the body should the soule the Sonne of SYRACH hath made a whole Chapter that teacheth this Lesson But the Iewes put a sunder what GOD had conioyned Cap. 35 they shewed much zeale for the Ceremoniall but were carelesse of the Morall Law expressed much submission of their bodyes but little deuotion of their Soules and drew neere with their lips but their hearts were farre from God Of this GOD complaineth ESAY 1. and doth passionately vary tearmes to expresse his dislike thereof they solemnized their Feasts and offered Sacrifices and assembled themselues in his House Esay 1 But what saith GOD To what purpose is the multitude of your Sacrifices Who required your presence to tread in my Courts I hate your solemne Feasts The cause of all is Your hands are full of blood In the last of ESAY GOD is much sharper He that killeth an oxe is as if he slew a man Cap. 66. he that sacrificeth a lambe as if he cut off a dogs necke he that offereth an oblation is as if he offered swines blood he that burneth Incense as if he blessed an Idol Marke the Reason They haue chosen their owne wayes and their soule delighted in their owne abominations You see then that in seruing GOD we may offend him grieuously if we seuer those things which he hath coupled for our seruice then will be plaine hypocrisie and Hypocrifie is by a Prouerbe noted to be double iniquitie And iustly is it so noted for therein we do first Interpretatiuè deny that GOD is the Searcher of the heart in that we doe not approue our heart to him Secondly we doe expresly preferre the Diuell before GOD in that we giue the better part I meane our Soule to the Diuell and reserue onely the worser part that is our bodyes for GOD. This should all that present themselues in GODS House seriously thinke on especially you that make shew of a solemne Penitent but such a shew as betrayeth that there is no broken heart within you nor contrite spirit seeing there appeareth so little euidence thereof in the outward man Be you assured that so repenting for sinne you doe but add vnto your sinne you are a transgressor of the Law in regard of your Separation of the Ceremoniall from the Morall Law But there is an other transgression of the Law which is the direct and immediate violation of the Morall part thereof This is the greater sinne and doth more apparently deserue such a name for the former though it be a sinne yet it is a cloaked sinne it maketh some faire shew in the eyes of men how vgly soeuer it is in the eyes of GOD but this walketh vnmasked and appeareth as it is Secondly the former is Malum quia prohibitum euill vpon no other ground but because by a positiue Law it is forbidden it is onely extrinsically euil the other is prohibitum quia malum by no meanes to be done though there were no positiue Law that did forbid it the euill thereof is intrinsicall for it is the violation of the Image of GOD according to which man was made and according to which he should liue In the particular Case that concernes this Penitent GOD that gaue a rationall facultie vnto the soule of man whereby he should order the sensitiue in the vse thereof would haue a man shew himselfe to be better then a beast And how doth a man differ from a beast that hath vnbridled lusts and neglect not onely sacred wedlocke but the degrees of Affinitie and Consanguinitie within which GOD and Nature require that his lusts be stinted This should you that are the Penetent seriously thinke on and measure the grieuousnesse of your sinne by this these things as well the transgression of the Morall as the seperation thereof from the Ceremoniall But the grieuousnesse of sinne is argued not only from what is done but also from the doing of the same Aliud est peccare aliud peccatum facere saith St AVGVSTINE It is one thing to sinne another thing to be giuen ouer to sinne and his distinction is not idle for it is grounded not onely vpon St IOHNS phrase 1 Iohn 3. but also vpon St IAMES his gradation Men are first inticed by their lusts Cap. 1. then lust conceaueth and brings forth sinne and sinne being perfected brings forth death and this perfecting of sinne is properly the doing of sinne All men sinne but they that haue grace take heed of doing sinne feare and shame are both shaken off by those that goe so farre they endeauour not so much as to hide their sinnes Of these Iewes our Psalme saith They sate they spake they ran they wrought euill they consented one with another and were professors of a wicked life And little better is the case of this Penitent who for many yeeres hath openly in the eyes of the world notwithstanding the clamor of many that iustly did detest it liued in abominable Incest which doth much aggrauate his sinne There is a third Aggrauation in my Text taken from the Person that doth commit the sinne Thou hast done these things And the circumstance of the Person doth much improue the foulenesse of a fault No man should sinne against GOD but they that are most bound should forbeare most Now the Iewes had a double Obligation one by Nature the other by the Couenant They were GODS Creatures and GOD vouchsafed to contract with them Not to performe the dutie which we owe especially when we haue solemnly vowed it maketh vs guiltie in a high degree And euerie one within the Church if he doe sinne is so farre guiltie his Vow in Baptisme will presse him no lesse then the Condition of his Nature And this must you that are the Penitent ponder in your Soule that you may answerably hereunto feele the burden of your sinne I doe not amplifie these things without Cause they must be the rather marked because the deeper the Iewe was in guilt the greater was GODS Patience Notwithstanding their double offence their Seperation and Transgression their double Obligation of Nature and Vow their double sinning in that they did not onely act but professe sin yet did GOD hold his peace he proceeded not against them but with great Patience GODS Patience is noted by his Silence the word signifieth to be deafe and dumbe and putteth vs in mind of a double voyce a voyce of sinne and a voyce of Iudgement That sinnes haue a Voyce you may read Gen. 4. where ABELS blood doth cry and in the Storie of Sodome Gen. 18. the voyce of whose sin came vp to
can be no fit obiect for compassion which is the next point of the Text. Touching which compassion we are here taught that it is a restoring of a Penitent in the spirit of meekenesse Meekenesse is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arl. Eth. lib. 4. cap. 5. and a meeke man is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Apostle doth not forbid Anger but commendeth indulgence there is a rod and a spirit of meekenesse that for the impenitent but for the penitent this And certainly without meekenesse there is little good to be done with Penitents for generosus est hominis animus magis ducitur quà m trahitur especially in reformation of the inward man where not so much coaction as perswasion preuaileth therefore if any thing will win the wayward it is meeknesse so thought St AMBROSH Tolle hominem a contentione audacia et habebis eum subiectum by meeknesse the prince of this world is soonest ouerthrowne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he is likely to recouer a patient soonest that handleth him gentlest Now if it be so in reclayming of a sinner that meekenesse is so requisite how requisite is it in dealing with a penitent sinner If St BERNARDS practise be commendable in iudging of sinne either to excuse the fact or say the temptation was verie strong how tenderly must we respect the humiliation of a sinner And take heed of a pharisaicall pride which satiateth its owne vncharitablenesse vnder pretext of censure and proceedeth contrarie to GODS rule vltra rather then citra condignum with the most when it should be with the least St PAVL did remember and so should we all that we are the seruants of that GOD which desireth not the death of a sinner Members of that SAVIOVR which will not breake a bruised reed nor quench smoaking flaxe Finally Temples of that Holy Ghost which is tearmed in my Text the Spirit of Meekenesse And indeed this vertue is a graffe not of nature but of grace and it argueth the Spirit dwelleth in vs when such fruit springeth from vs. Yea our whole soule must become meekenesse and this vertue must take vp euerie power thereof For such phrases are emphaticall and note not onely the originall but the extent of a vertue it doth argue that the whole inward man should be seasoned with it and concurre to the acting of it But the Spirit of Meekenesse must not be seuered from restoring for compassion should not cherish sinne but rectifie a sinner otherwise it is curdelis misericordia it is as if you should take a man that with a fall hath broken a ioynt and lay him downe vpon a soft bed but not take care to set his ioynts this were to leaue him in perpetuall torture or at least a maymed creature the righteous must smite but their stripes must be a precious balme the Church must censure but it must be for correction not destruction a sinner must be restored to that from which he is fallen It is an error long since condemned in the Nonatians who thought that the Church had no power to restore belieuing Penitents to restore them to that state wherein they were before their fall the very words vsed in my Text refuteth them which comming from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying compleate and perfect and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 comming from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nuper sheweth that it signifieth a perfect restitution vnto that which the person was before The fall did disgrace and disable so the restoring must recouer inwardly and outwardly inwardly in the peace of conscience and new strength to resist sinne outwardly in the Communion of Saints and the participation of sacred things and charitable society in the course of life In regard of all these the person must be as if he had neuer fallen Finally this restoring in the Spirit of Meekenesse must be without respect of persons and without exception of faults so saith the Text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if he be a man that hath fallen Happily we can be contented to shew meekenesse to our kinred our friends not to strangers with whom we haue no such acquaintance But we must exclude none that may be ouertaken and any may be ouertaken that is a man Saint AVSTIN and other of the Fathers worke vpon the name man and shew that implyeth frailtie according to the Prouerbe Gen. 6.9 Humanum est errare and indeed the Scripture is cleare for it the frame of the imaginations of the heart of man is euill and that from his youth continually As we may exclude no person so must we except against no sinne If a man be ouertaken 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in any kind of sinne our bowels must not be straighter then Christs merits what his blood hath cleansed the Church may not hold vnpardonable therefore ouer great austerie was well condemned in the Councell of Nice which left power in the Bishops vpon iust cause to mittigate the penance which was enioyned by Canons with great seueritie to the terror of the wicked You haue heard what compassion must be shewed the Text moreouer teacheth who must shew it and vpon what ground Touching the partie that must shew it St HIEROME hath a good rule on this Text Homo potest se in voraginem perditionis conijcere non potest sine auxilio se eripere we may cause our owne ruine of our selues but vnto our restitution we need the helpes of others of others amongst whom we must acknowledge an Agent and the Instruments the chiefe Agent is GOD he onely blotteth out all our offences as himselfe speaketh in ESAY and it is He that healeth all our infirmities Ps 103. yet he is pleased to vse means or instruments and they are of two sorts medium impetrationis and medium operationis that is the Church offended this is the Minister In publike scandals GOD ouer and aboue the teares and sighes of the penitent will haue the whole Church to mediate and deprecate his wrath and he will haue the Minister spondere veniam to promise pardon and absolue in his name so that this Text implyeth a power which GOD hath giuen both the Pastor and People inabling each in his order to forgiue sinnes according as we are taught Math. 18. But marke here the words whereby these persons are described least they be proud and suppose their compassion to be arbitrarie which they may shew or withhold at their pleasure they are taught the contrarie by their names which testifie that it is necessarie for them to shew compassion The first name is Brethren Esay 58.7 this name implyeth an argument of compassion for a man may not turne away his eyes from his owne flesh this is true if he were but a naturall man but the spirituall cognation is greater and therefore bindeth more strongly by how much we owe more regard to our supernaturall then to our naturall Father Adde hereunto that their is no shew no pretence of
vncharitablenesse in our supernaturall cognation Naturall brethren maligne each the other either because the affection of Parents is vnequall or because they shall not haue equall part in the Inheritance but GOD embraceth all his children with the same loue and they are all called to be heires of the same Kingdome therefore they should all haue alike tender bowels one towards another As the name of Brethren calleth for compassion so doth the name of spirituall also by spirituall is ment he that is strong in Faith and hath not yeelded to temptation he that is led by the Spirit and hath not fulfilled the lusts of his Flesh the more he is so spirituall the more compassionate he must be Greg. Mag◠Vera iustitia compassionem habet falsa indignationem It is a shrewd argument that our righteousnesse is pharisaicall and not Christian if we rather insult then shew pittie who more spirituall then GOD then Christ then the Angels The best of men cannot match the meanest of them in the holines of Spirit and yet the Angels reioyce at the conuersion of a sinner Luke 19.7 and how doth Christ the good Sheepeheard take comfort in the recouerie of the lost Sheepe And as for GOD you read his disposition in that countenance and cheere wherewith the Father receiued his prodigall child Where there is lesse kindnesse there is lesse of the Spirit as in the Diuell who calumniateth amplyfieth sinnes aggrauateth Iudgements and we are too like him if our bowels be crueltie You see who must shew compassion and read their duties in their names But if their names will not worke enough the ground that the Text addeth inforcing this dutie doth more strongly presse them and the ground is considering thy selfe least thou also be tempted 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 our eies happily are watchfull but are more fixed vpon others then vpon our selues we take delight to pry farre into other mens faults and a pleasing thing it is to flesh and blood to be learned in such arguments But it is but a propertie of Vultures and Rauens that quickly sent carrion and hast vnto it the Holy Ghost here taketh off our eyes from other obiects and fastens them vpon our selues we are the book which our selues should most study we should know none so well as our selues But when we are brought so farre as to study our selues we study like the Pharisee read nothing in our selues but our owne perfections if GOD hath giuen vs any guifts we need no spectacles to read it the characters are alwayes of the largest sise yea we oftentimes read more then is written and giue thankes to GOD for that which he hath not bestowed or not bestowed in that measure which we suppose we haue Because of our ouer great docilitie to study this argument the Scripture passeth by it and reads vs another lesson the lesson of our infirmities looke we must vpon our selues yea and to our selues also but that which we must behold and heed is least thou also be tempted Consider Quia homo es habens naturam mutabilem saith THEODORET No man in this world is so spirituall but he is also carnall St HIEROME with this Text censured the Heretickes of old and we may censure some that liue at this day who thinke that a righteous man is such a tree as can beare no bad fruit but posse peccare is the portion of euerie mortall man and he that standeth may fall for we all walke in the middest of snares Aut sumus aut fuimus aut possumus esse quod haec est euen he that hath ouercome temptation knowes how hard a thing it is to be tempted And if it be hard then should not we be hard hearted towards them whom it foyleth Which obseruation is not vnnecessarie because our nature is as prone to rigor as it is to sinne we are to haue an eye to both and indeed nothing will make vs sooner auoid the temptation vnto rigor then the acknowledgment that our felues are prone to sinne it is St AVSTINS rule Nil sic ad misericordiam inclinat ac proprij periculi cogitatio he that knowes he may need mercie hath a good inducement to shew mercie Wherefore as to the comfort of the Penitent I may promise her that her teares are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 though she sow in teares Basil she shall reape inioy so let me aduise you to forgiue and it shall be forgiuen vnto you He that is mercifull doth good to his owne soule saith SOLOMON Prou. 11. Ecel 8. Eph. 4. Colos 3. Wherefore despise ye not a man returning from his sinne be courteous one towards another and tender hearted forgiuing freely as God for Christ sake forgiueth you St PAVL doth teach vs this lesson in this Text the Text is documentum exemplum the matter of it informeth vs yea the phrase is a good patterne vnto vs in deliuering an argument of mercie he vseth not a word that doth not sauour of mercie Homo noting the pronesse of our nature to sinne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the occasions of sinne praeoccupatus the surprisall all in fauour of the Penitent And what meaneth the name of Brother Spirituall the Spirit of Meeknesse Consider thy selfe Thou mayst be tempted Are they not as water cast vpon the fire of our zeale to temper it if it grow too hot Then looke we on the words all call vpon vs that as we are eye witnesses and eare witnesses of this Penitents confession contrition so we should let GOD and the Angels see how full we are of compassion Compassion that must moue vs all to pray to GOD for her that God by the power of the keyes may loose her from those bands wherewith her sinne her crying sinne hath tyed her God heare vs and worke by vs and in vs that she may be fully restored and her fall may make vs all to beware Amen Blessed are the mercifull for they shall find mercie A SERMON PREACHED IN THE CATHEDRAL CHVRCH OF WELS AT WHAT TIME A MAN DID PENANCE FOR INCEST WITH HIS WIVES DAVGHTER 1 CORINTH 5. VERSE 1 c. 1 Jt is reported commonly that there is fornication amongst you and such fornication as is not so much as named amongst the Gentiles that one should haue his fathers wife 2 And ye are puffed vp and haue not rather mourned that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from amongst you 3 For J verily as absent in body but present in spirit haue iudged already as though J were present against him that hath so done this deed 4 Jn the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ when ye are gathered together and my spirit with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ 5 To deliuer such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh that the spirit may be saued in the day of the Lord Jesus THE present occasion led me to this Text and this Text that I haue read vnto you well fitteth
Penitent did both couples are alike neere kin and so in true iudgement your case is as his was neither skilleth it that you tooke her not to wife but abused her body onely for if you abuse her body whom you may not take to wife your fact is nothing the lesse Incest your marying would haue argued a resolution to continue the Incest You haue committed complicatissimum peccatum a very manifold sinne there is in it Fornication you knew her body without mariage Adulterie you knew her your wife being liuing Incest you knew such a person as you could not match with by any dispensation from man neither from GOD was there euer any granted Wonder not then that the Apostle doth not onely expresse but amplifie also this sinne The first amplification is in regard of the haynousnesse of it it was not so much as named amongst the Gentiles Mistake not the words it is not meant that the Gentiles neuer were infected with this sinne in the entrance and close of the 18 of Leuit. it appeareth that the Aegyptians from whom Israel then came and the Canaanites whose Countrey they were to possesse were foully stayned therewith and thereupon did GOD take an occasion to lay the prohibition thereof vpon the Israelits Leu. 20.23 that they might not follow the corruption of those Gentiles But Saint PAVL meaneth that euen such as were but onely Gentiles haue out of the light of reason detested and forbidden it which appeareth in their Morals Lawes and Histories the iniquitie thereof being euident not onely out of the Law of MOSES but of nature also otherwise the Canaanites could not in equitie haue beene punished for being guiltie of it And no maruell if the Heathen detested it when the verie beasts doe abhorre it Lib. 9. cap. 47 ARISTOTLE in his Historie of liuing Creatures hath written of a Camell and a Horse which were brought to their dammes but no sooner did they discerne them by falling off of the cloathes which had beene cast vpon them to conceale them but that the Camell was presently so enraged that he kild his keeper and the Horse left not running vntill he had broken his necke The phrase of the Apostle is remarkable that which was not so much as named amongst the Gentiles was done by a Christian whereas the rule of pietie is that those sinnes should not be so much as named amongst Christians which are done by the Gentiles Christians should not walke as other Gentiles doe because they know GOD and are brought so neere to GOD as to be heires by hope of the Kingdome of GOD finally they haue as many tyes layd vpon the lusts of their flesh as they haue prerogatiues vouchsafed to their bodyes whereas the Gentiles they know not GOD theyare aliens from his couenant yea they worship the Diuel which is an impure Spirit and therefore no such wonder if they be giuen ouer to filthy lusts but Omne animi vitium tanto conspectius in se Crimen habet quante maior qui peccat habetur It is verily a pittifull case when sinne groweth to that heighth in the children of GOD Ezech. 16. as that Iuda iustifieth Israel and both iustifie Sodome when Christians become worse then Heathens in their liues and conuersations You that are the Penitent take this to heart and measure the burden of your conscience thereby The second amplification of the sinne is from the notoriousnesse thereof it is commonly reported the sin is so publike that it cannot be coloured that it needeth no proofe all the world taketh notice of it This is a faire ground of a censure secret sinnes the Church doth not iudge it leaueth them to GOD to mens consciences but notorious sinnes must not escape vnpunished they are ripe for Iudgement when their infamie draweth them to light Cap. 20. Sinnes in generall are called Workes of darknesse but especially the sinnes of Incontinencie IOâ— obserued it and the more foule the Incontinencie the more closely vseth it to be carryed and the more it feareth to be discouered So that for a worke of darknesse to be notorious argueth the impudencie of the sinner Esay 3. it was that for which GOD challenged Israel They declare their sinne like Sodom they hide it not shame and feare are both cast off when sinne hath an Harlots forehead Because you the Penitent haue committed a grieuous sinne and the cry thereof is come into the eares not of GOD onely but also of his Church it was meet you should be made a penitentiall spectacle meet that your sinne should be not onely exprest but amplyfied also and that in regard of the haynousnesse and notoriousnesse thereof otherwise we should deserue the blame which St PAVL layeth vpon the Corinthians that did neglect to censure the Incestuous person in their Church Of their neglect in censuring such an offendor let vs see first the cause and then their fault the cause was first too much selfe-conceipt they were puft vp Instatio is presumptae either innocertiae or scientiae men are puffed vp with a presumption either of their owne holinesse as the Pharisee I thanke God I am not like vnto other men c. or of their guifts of edification as here the Corinthians which you perceiue by former Chapters The first kind of presumption maketh men too forward vnto separation ouerweening of holinesse will bid men stand farther off I am more holy then thou but ouerweening of other guifts is ambitious of followers it will beare with all faults so it may be admired Certainly this puffing vp breeds much confusion in the Church our owne times testifie But because that point is not to this Penitents case I passe it ouer onely giuing this note by the way that none are more proud then they which know themselues least they boast when they haue cause to blush yea and GOD doth often permit grieuous fals in them or amongst them to take downe such vaine mens pride This first cause which I called selfe-conceipt bred another cause which I called too little fellow feeling they sorrowed not Seldome shall you haue a proud man compassionate he is so taken vp with the contemplation of his owne worth that he doth not heed other mens cases no wonder therefore if he mourne not But it beseemes Christian pietie to bewayle other mens fals First because of our reference to them they are members of the same body with vs and how should one member not feele the wound which is giuen to another The mysticall body of Christ ought not to be worse disposed then is the naturall body of man Secondly because of our danger from them for at least their guilt toucheth vs a murderous hand maketh the whole man goe for a murderer and one wicked member of the Church maketh all the Church goe for guiltie vntill it haue cleared it selfe as we learne by the expiation of the vnknown murder Thirdly there is a scandall that their sinne bringeth vpon all
of their profession GODS Name is blasphemed by it And lastly Iosu 7. vengeance by the sinne of one man commeth vpon a whole Church one ACHAN troubleth all Israel Ier. 9. These considerations should draw teares from euerie mans eyes it should make vs wish with IEREMIE that our heads were full of waters and our eyes a fountaine of teares Ps 11 9. Our eyes with DAVIDS should gush out with riuers because men keepe not Gods Lawes Neither should priuate men onely so lament but the whole Church also you haue a patterne in the storie of NABOTH 1 King 21. it was pretended that NABOTH blasphemed GOD and the King and thereupon the whole Citie proclaimed a Fast the like we read Esdras 9 and 10 of a publike lamentation for the sinne of some of the people These reasons and examples must worke in vs and force vs to weep for the grieuous sinne of a brother We must weepe yet here we must not stop not wèeping was the cause of the fault but it was not the fault of the Corinthians their fault was as St PAVL telleth them that they did not put away the incestuous person Christians as they must be sorrowfull to see grieuous offendors so must they be zealous for their chastisement if they haue sufficient power and faire proofe otherwise they make the sinne their owne But if so be the proofe be not full Ambr. or they haue no lawfull authoritie to chastife then it is sufficient for them to mourne I shall fall vpon this point againe when I come to the censure therefore I will say no more of it here Onely I must put you that are the Penitent in mind that if others must be so sorrowfull for you then must you be sorrowfull for your selfe and you must be as carefull to rid your selfe of sinne as we must be to rid the Church of a sinner But let vs come at length to the Censure St PAVL as I told you had a more quicke eare and a more feeling heart then the Corinthians had he proueth it true which else-where he affirmeth of himselfe Who is weake and I am not weake Who is offended and I burne not ◠Cor. 11. Yea he seemes to disproue the common Prouerbe Segnius irritant ammos dimissa per aures quam quae sunt oculis commissa fidelibus for what the Corinthians neglected hauing it in their eye with that he was much disquieted though he had notice of it onely by his eare and therefore doth he censure it as appeares in the last part of the Text where you shall see what the censure was and whereunto it serued The censure is Excommunication but it is exprest in verie high and fearfull termes it is called a deliuerie vnto Satan The words imply one thing and expresse another for Excommunication consisteth of two parts a priuatiue and a positiue the priuatiue is that which seperateth from the Communion of Saints and separation presupposeth a former Communion The Article of our Creed teacheth vs that there is a Communion of Saints there is an inward and an outward communion inward by Faith Hope and Charitie outward in the participation of sacred things in the visible assembly From the inward none is separated but by himselfe falling from his Faith Hope and Charitie and so depriuing himselfe of the bond of Vnion which is the Spirit of GOD. From the outward none should be separated except he first doth separate himselfe from the inward and doth also manifest that separation to the scandall of others and dishonor of Religion The man that goeth so farre in separating himselfe by sinne the CHVRCH must separate him by censure Iude 2 Thes 3. 1 Cor. 5. We must hate the garment spotted with the Flesh We must not keepe companie we must not eat with those that are inordinate we must not let the world thinke that Christianity doth allow of such sinnes The Aduersaries are apt enough to traduce vs without a cause how much more if there be a cause The impurities of old Heretickes were layd to the Christians in generall and now the Anabaptists and Familists are made our staines there may be some colour of casting such shame vpon vs if we endure such persons therefore we must put them away from amongst vs they must vndergoe the priuatiue part of Excommunication Besides this priuatiue part which is implyed in the censure because mentioned before there is a positiue part which is here exprest it is the deliuerie vnto Satan The phrase hath in it some thing proper to an Apostle and some thing common to all Bishops It was proper to the Apostles so to deliner vnto Satan as that he should haue power ouer the incestuous persons body to torment him and such power the Apostles not onely had but executed as appeares in the stories of ELYMAS ANANIAS and SAPHIRA They could strike men with death they could possesse them with as well as dispossesse them off foule Spirits And of this power doe many of the Fathers vnderstand these words and the like which we read 1 Tim. 1. But besides this power there is another common to all Bishops with the Apostles which is to expose the Soules of those which are obstinate sinners to the malice of the Prince of Darknesse by suspending them from the preseruatiue against it which is the visible Communion of Saints for the inuisible will not hold long if the visible be iustly with-held because extra Ecclesiam non est salus Satan raigneth and rageth in them and on them that are excluded from the Communion of Saints A word here to you the penitent consider with your selfe how bitter banishment it is to him that dwelleth in a goodly Countrey hath a good house faire possessions and those well stockt and stored yet he must part with all these And hereby guesse you at the euill of the priuatiue part of Excommunication for a Christian within the CHVRCH is in the Kingdome of Heauen he is of the Houshold of GOD he is Owner of those greene pastures and waters of comfort which are mentioned Psal 23. he is prouided plentifully of all ghostly food and rayment If the losse of those corporall things be grieuous how grieuous must the losse of these spirituall be And touching the positiue part of the Excommunication suppose that he that were banished were also put into the hands of a Tyrant and he that hated him should be made Lord ouer him should haue power to vse him as a Slaue and afflict him with tortures you would thinke his case much more miserable and yet is it not so miserable as his which is deliuered ouer to Satan vsed by him onely to serue filthy lusts and daily to breed new matter for the vexation of his owne Soule yet this was to be the case of this incestuous Corinthian And you deserue that it should haue been your case both of you being such impure persons to whom should you be committed but to
vntill the tenth Generation but against Incest he is more seuere Deut. 271 for he would not onely haue a generall curse pronounced against it whereunto he commanded all the people to say Amen but touching the Moabites and Ammonites the first spawne of Incest that we find in the Scripture though they were the posteritie of LOT whom GOD loued for AERAHAM's sake Deut 23. yet doth he command that they shall not enter into the Congregation of Israel for euer Israel is forbidden to seeke their peace at any time RVBEN is a second example marke what his owne Father IACOB said of him when he blest the Patriarkes Ruben thou art my first borne my might Gen. 49. the beginning of my strength the excellencie of digniâ—â—â— and the excellencie of power these were the preeminences of his birth-right but he forfeited them all for Incest as appeares in the verie next words of his Father Vnstable as water thou shalt not excell because thou wentest vp to thy Fathers bed then defiledst thou it He went vp into my couch A third example is ABSALON he abused his Fathers Concubines therefore he came to an infamous end he was hanged by the haire of his owne head he dyed childlesse and so his name did rot Leu. 8. The Land of Canaan spued out the old Inhabitants for Incest and GOD threatneth the destruction of Israel for that a man and his sonne would goe in to one maid Amos 2. By GODS Law no lesse then death was the punishment of Incest Leu. 10. The Lawes of the Land are more mercifull vnto you the Penitent that suffer you to breathe and leaue you to the censure of the CHVRCH But if you mind what you haue heard touching that censure and drinke in St AVSTINS conceipt therof you shall find cause enough to feare and freedome from death may seeme vnto you worse then death But yet your case is not desperate for there yet remaines one point in the Text which may yeeld a mitigation to your feares and a consolation to your Soule The censure is not mortall but medicinall as appeares in the end whereunto the censure serues Now a medicine you know doth first paine then it doth ease yea it doth therfore paine that it may ease so doth this ghostly censure it serues for the destruction of the flesh there is the paine but there followeth ease vpon it the spirit shaâ— be saued First of the paine As the flesh signifieth sometimes the substance sometimes the corruption of the outward man so may the destruction signifie either the mortalitie or the mortification thereof mortalitie if the censure proceed from the power which is proper to an Apostle but if it signifie the power which is common to Bishops with the Apostles it noteth mortification it signifieth the crucifying of the flesh with the lusts thereof the putting off the old man and the dying vnto sinne And indeed this we intend by our Ecclesiasticall censures We intend that you should root out the sinne for which you doe penance and so destroy your flesh This is painfull to flesh and blood but vt valeas multa dolenda feres you must brooke the paine that you may enioy the ease that followeth thereupon the spirit shall be saued The spirit noteth the soule or the grace thereof the sauing of the soule is the preseruing of grace therein if the soule loose grace it looseth it selfe in regard of all well-being and it were much better for it not to be at all then to be without grace so that the saluation of our spirit is no small part of our happinesse Which must the rather be esteemed because if our spirit fare well it will make euen the flesh that is destroyed in regard of the corruption to be farre better in regard of the substance for it shall be purged from dead works to serue the liuing GOD. But when shall we reape this easâ— out of paine In the day of our Lord Iesus Christ Though a peniten euen in this life shall find some case in his Conscience yet the full benefit of Ecclesiasticall censure is reserued to the day of the Lord because all this life we must be mortifying our flesh especially enormous sinners must be so imployed the greatest of their ease in this world must haue a mixture of paine but in the day of the Lord they shall haue ease without all delay But what day of the Lord is meant here Euerie mans particular day of death or the generall doomes day An account must be made at both and if we vse the Ecclesiasticall censure well we shall find that this Iudgment preuents that this temporall the eternall For as CHRIST at his first comming came not to destroy but to saue so his Ministers that dispense the Gospel vse their power not to destruction but to edification But I thinke the day of the Lord signifieth properly the last day CHRIST will publikely manifest before the CHVRCH tryumphant the effect of the Keyes which he hath committed to his Ministers to be exercised publikely in the CHVRCH militant he will then reueale how all stand bound in Heauen which were neuer loosed on Earth and all whom the CHVRCH hath loosed in Earth shall then appeare to be loosed in Heauen I end The successe which St PAVL had when he inflicted this sentence was that the Corinthians became verie sensible of their fault and the Incestuous person of his St PAVL himselfe doth witnesse this 2 Cor. 7. where he amplyfieth both their godly sorrowes and his congratulating indulgence towards them both Oh that like successe might blesse my paines that I may giue as good a testimonie to this Congregation for their hatred of sinne as St PAVL gaue to the Corinthians and to this Penitent the like mittigation of his Censure as St PAVL to that Incestuous person So may this penitentiall sheet of his be turned into a white robe of righteousnesse his teares into ioy and all we that are humbled for him in the Church militant be with him exalted in the Church tryumphant Amen A SERMON PREACHED IN THE CATHEDRAL CHVRCH OF WELS AT WHAT TIME TWO DID PENANCE FOR INCEST A MAN AND HIS WIVES DAVGHTER LEVIT 20. VERSE 14. Likewise if a man taketh a wife and her mother this is wickednesse they shall burne him and them with fire and there shall be no wickednesse amongst you NO sooner doe you heare this Text but I am ure you vnderstand this spectacle you vnderstand what sinners these persons are what doome this Law doth passe vpon them And indeed their sinne and Gods doome are the maine parts of my Text. But more distinctly In the sinne we must note first the fact then the haynousnesse thereof The fact is vnnaturall adulterie Adulterie because one man taketh more women then one that is plaine adulterie And this adulterie is vnnaturall because there is the neerest reference betweene the women the one a Mother the other her Daughter to take two
GOD is grounded vpon it and affinitie doth in some sort equall consanguinitie as grafted branches doe those that are naturall But because where consanguinitie is a good ground of charitie there needeth no repaire neither will GOD haue any therefore hath he forbidden mariage within certaine degrees some collaterall more in the right line and they that match within these degrees are said to commit Incest Adde hereunto that GOD would haue a distinction kept between persons he would not haue the same person a Father and a Sonne an Husband and a Brother c. in regard of the same persons such peruersenesse in matches can neuer be approued of reason much lesse of GOD. See then your fault you that are the incestuous persons you haue first gone against GODS Ordinance which prouided for the propagating of charity and your sinne is iniurious to the societie of mankind and if it might preuaile Families must needs continue strangers each to the other and they must confine their wealth and their loue euerie one to their owne Howse Secondly In confounding Consanguinitie and Affinitie you haue made a peruerse confusion of a Father and an Husband and of a Daughter you haue made a Wife at least a Strumpet And this is your second sinne and of this and the former consisteth your sinfull fact and haynous sinne It is wickednesse Wickednesse is a word common to all sinnes but it must be here vnderstood in a speciall sense as the word sinner is often in the Scripture in the Old Testament the Amalekites those sinners 1 Sam. 15.18 in the New Testament the Gentiles are also called sinners as also Publicans Harlots not so much because they had sinne in them as for that their sinnes were enormous All Incontinencie is wicked but Incest is wicked 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the highest degree But to open the word here vsed by the Holy Ghost a little more fully The word is Zimmah which signifieth any act of our mind or thought of our heart but because the thoughts of the imaginations of our hearts are commonly euill therefore an euill thought or purpose is often intimated vnto vs thereby Thirdly Because he that is a slaue to his affections can hardly be master of his actions for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 out of the abundance of the heart the mouth will speake therefore it signifieth a reuealed thought a thought reuealed in our actions Finally the word being put without any limitation doth signifie an execrable an intollerable wicked both thought and act and so it is here to be vnderstood But marke that though the sinne be an act yet it is denominated from the thought And why The principall part thereof lyeth in the purpose of the heart not in the outward performance by our body which may also be obserued in the storie of the Deluge all flesh had then corrupted his way but GOD pointeth at the fountaine of this corruption in these words Gou. 6. euerie imagination of the thoughts of mans heart were euill Act. 8. and that continually SIMON MAGVS offered money to the Apostles that he might by them be inabled to giue the Holy Ghost to whom soeuer he layd his hands vpon but marke what St PETER saith to him Pray that the thought of thy heart may be forgiuen thee for I perceiue thou art in the gall of bitternesse and the bond of iniquitie Men that doe that which is right in their owne eyes are commonly drawne thereunto by following the counsell of their owne heart we must therefore listen to the aduise of SOLOMON Prâ—u 4.23 Keepe thy heart with all diligence for out of it are the issues of life and death A second note that this word doth yeeld is that we must be so farre from acting that we must not so much as purpose sinne not suffer our selues so farre to be baited by our owne lusts Athanas as to conceiue sinne in the inward man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sinne in the priuie closet of our soule Excellently NAZIANZENE to this purpose 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 let no man set vp Idols of wickednesse in his soule 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nor carrie about him pictures of wickednesse in his heart for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the inward lust is the greatest part of fornication and incest and therefore doth the Holy Ghost so often forbid the lust of concupiscence In a word laudantur homines vituperantur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as men are inwardly disposed so are they morally reputed good or bad and herein doth morallitie differ from policie But I haue not yet touched at the haynousnesse of this sinne Incest then must be reputed in the number of the most enormous sinnes a sinne that hath his originall from the impure Spirit which is antiquus adulter the ancientest Adulterer not onely spirituall but corporall also and taketh delight no lesse in the corruption of our bodyes then of our soules you may see it in the confessions of sundry Witches who report the manner of their festiuitie at their impious meetings and read it in the description of their Mysteries wherein they doe initiate their followers TERTVLLIAN in his Apologie and other Fathers make mention of it And how many impure Hereticks did he rayse in the Primitiue CHVRCH This and the 18 Chapter doth tell vs that the Aegyptians from whom the Israelites came and the Canaanites into whose Countrey they were to goe were Nations ouergrowne with this haynous sinne but marke what it addeth God did detest them for it and the Land did spue them out And no maruell â—ozomene for it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a man that is giuen ouer to this degree of lust hath lost all soueraigntie of reason and is become a verie beast yea worse then a beast for beasts abhorre this coniunction as heretofore vpon a like occasion I shewed you out of ARISTOTLE And therefore although these extrauagant lusts did raigne in the Heathen who learned them of their impure gods yet was not the light of reason so farre exstinguished in all of them Ouid. but that many acknowledged the haynousnesse of them the Poet did Dira canam procul hinc natae procul este parentes said one of them Lab 8. De Legibus when he was to speake of a Daughters lying with her owne Father The Philosophers did PLATO saith that by an inward vnwritten Law the sacred Law of Conscience men doe abhorre these vnnaturall mixtures of mankind The Ciuill Law calleth it a funestation of a mans selfe and indeed the persons are dead in sinnes and trespasses that make such a coniunction And how can that be but abominable in GODS iudgement which the blind reason of vnregenerate man hath acknowledged to be so abominable I will conclude this point with two aggrauations of the sinne which arise from the persons of these offendors The man is a Father and a father should be a good example to his children and by
his authoritie should hold them in when they would run riot if he doe not he offends grieuously How grieuously then doth that father offend which giueth an ill example to his child Allureth her to such detestable sinne Yea doth act the sinne with her If Incest be of it selfe haynous your fatherhood maketh it much more haynous And as for you that are the daughter no small accesse is made vnto your sinne by being the daughter of your mother for sinnes are improued by their persons that act them If it had beene an enemie that had done me this wrong I could haue borne it saith DAVID but it was thou my familiar friend c. Whosoeuer had wronged your mothers bed it had beene a wickednesse but to be thus wronged by her owne daughter wherein it is hard to say whether she haue more cause to lament in regard of her owne or of your person it cannot but adde much to your sinne These things should you that are the Penitents take to heart and adde them to the measure of your sinne for of haynous they make it much more haynous I passe at length from the sinne to the doome giuing you by the way this note That GOD addeth doomes to sinnes grieuous doomes to haynous sinnes that we may be held in by the feare of the one when we would not forbeare vpon the fight of the other for such is our weaknesse that though a sinne be represented vnto vs as most vgly most odious yet sensualitie doth so preuaile that we are caried away with the pleasure without any regard of the filthinesse thereof if any thing stay or stagger vs herein it must be paine which often maketh vs to bethinke our selues and take heed when we are euen ready to rush into sinne But touching the doome here in my Text we must first take notice that there is no respect of persons with God both must be punished the man and the woman and punished alike You would thinke that the case of the one were more fauourable then the other the Temptedst more fauourable then the Temptors The daughter may plead the power which her father had ouer her whom she durst not resist and thereby seeme to deserue fauour But this is no Plea at GODS Barre for children must remember that they haue an heauenly as well as an earthly Father and that they may not offend the one to pleasure the other A second thing obseruable in the Doome is that both the women are subiected to the same punishment which may seeme verie rigorous For what hath the lawfull wife deserued Therefore some vnderstand the words by a Synecdoche and by the women vnderstand either of them that shall be found guiltie whether it be the mother that defileth the daughters bed or the daughter that defileth the mothers bed But it may be that both may well deserue death If the mother be the wife and consent that her daughter should goe in to her father or if the daughter be the wife and consent that her mother should goe in to her husband such consent yea if it be but conniuency and patience it is abominable wickednesse How farre the mother was priuie to this daughters sinne I know not but if she were in any sort she deserueth to be punished no lesse then her child and the child with the father are to be punished most seuerely they are to be burnt with fire And here consider first how well the doome is fitted to the sinne the doome is fire and so is the sinne also If I haue beene deceiued by a woman saith IOB this were a fire that would burne to destruction Cap. 31. Prou. 6. And SOLOMON speaking of adulterie moueth this question Can a man take fire in his bosome and not be burnt He that is a fornicator in the body of his flesh saith the sonne of SYRACH will not cease till he haue kindled a fire Cap. 23. 1 Cor. 7.9 Finally St PAVL giueth this rule It is better to marrie then to burne burne in the lust of Incontinencie Seeing then this lust is a fire GOD doth punish a sier with a sier a sinfull with a painfull fire But the Iewish Rabbins or Antiquaries doe obserue that the Iewes had two kinds of burning of malefactors one was by opening their mouthes and pouring in moulten Lead this was called Combustio animae saluo corpore it tooke away the life of the partie and yet left no marke of the fire in the outward lineaments of his body The other was by laying of fewell round about the body which set on fire did presently consume it into ashes and is the burning meant here in my Text for it saith they should be burnt with fire And indeed this kind of burning of Incontinent persons is verie ancient Gen. 3â— Before the giuing of MOSES Law IVDAH would haue practised it vpon his daughter in Law TAMAR The Prophet MICAH alludeth hereunto in his first Chapter and EZEKIEL in his 16. St IOHN in his Reuelations speaking of the Whore of Babylon Cap. 17. 18. prophesieth that she shall perish by fire So that fire seemeth to haue beene the punishment of Whores not onely if she were the Priests daughter but whosoeuer she were the allusion else would not be so frequent And yet we read that adulterers were to be stoned to death whether after stoning they were also burnt is worth the inquirie for sometimes they were both practised vpon the same malefactors as it is cleere in the storie of ACHAN In the former degree of Incontinencie specified before my Text the Holy Ghost is silent and doth not specifie any particular kind of punishment by meanes whereof Interpreters doubt what punishment was to be inflicted Some conceiue that stoning mentioned in the beginning of the Chapter must be extended to all that follow the Iewes they limit it thus where the Law saith they shall dye the death and their blood shall be vpon them there stoning is meant but if it be onely they shall dye the death then the partie was to be strangled But I will not trouble you with these Antiquities onely this I will obserue vnto you that the specifying of a particular punishment here and not in the former degree of Incontinencie may well import some extraordinarie haynousnesse in this sinne especially if you consider the sharpenesse thereof they shall be burnt with fire Viui comburentur saith the Vulgar they shall be burnt aliue now you know that fire is a bitter tormenter and an vtter consumer it afflicteth extreamly while the partie liueth and it vtterly abolisheth the being of the body together with the life both which proue the punishment to be verie sharpe verie seuere it giueth no rest while we are and abolisheth vs as if we neuer had beene But this was a politike Law of MOSES what is that to vs We haue no such Law and that Law doth not bind our State True it doth not and happy is it for
into the Congregation of Israel vnto the third generation Cap. 3. The Booke of Wisedome amplyfieth this point the children of Adulterers shall not come to perfection and the seed of the vnrighteous bed shall be rooted out the like you may read Eccl. 23. but because those Bookes are Apochryphall Cap. 31. ◠here what IOB saith of Adulterie It is a sinne to be condemned it will deuour vnto destruction and it would root out all my posteritie And no wonder that GOD dealeth so with Bastards for which of vs if he haue Land entailed entailes it otherwise then vpon heires lawfully begotten If we thinke Bastards vnworthy to inherite our Lands here on Earth shall GOD thinke them worthy to be heires of the Kingdome of Heauen I will not condemne all Bastards to Hell I know IEPHTA found fauour with GOD and so no doubt haue many others but that commeth to passe by GODS extraordinarie mercie ordinarie Promise we haue none that they shall doe well Yea obserue and you shall find that they seldome keepe a meane if good verie good and if they be bad they are verie bad and parents of such children haue reason rather to feare the worst then hope the best for though GOD at after-hand doth often pardon sinnes yet before-hand he giues no encouragement to sinners You that are the Penitent take this to heart your second match being plaine Adulterie the children borne in such wedlocke must needs be bastards and being Bastards they are not the holy seed yea they are a seed that is cursed so cursed for your fault that as much as in you lyeth you strip them of all blessings on Earth and in Heauen they are fauoured by the Law neither of God nor men And so great wrong done to them should goe to your verie heart you haue sinned against your children not onely against your owne body And let this suffice concerning the doctrine that is in the Prophets Sermon I come now to the exhortation which he deduceth therefrom The exhortation is double according to the double respect which we owe. The first is to our selues keepe your selues in your Spirit or take heed to your Spirit We must take care of our whole man the outward and inward for touching the outward the Apostles rule is 1 Thes 4.4 1 Cor. 3. 1 Cor. 6. We must keepe our vessels in honour we may not defile the Temples of God We may not take the Members of Christ and make them the Members of an Harlot we must be chast propter carnem Christi as IGNATIVS speaketh because we are bone of Christs bone and flesh of his flesh But as we must take care of our bodyes so must we much more take care of our soules for it is in vaine to keepe the body chast and to retaine an adulterous heart for an adulterous heart though it be peccatum sine teste it hath no man to witnesse it yet is it peccatum Athanasius God will doome it for sinne Yea if a man stop not lust in his heart Math. 15. he will not be master of it in his body for ex abundantia cordis out of the aboundance of the heart the mouth speaketh out of that commeth Adulteries and Fornications But qui adinngit Spiritui adimit carni the better the Soule is the better will the body be therefore is temperance properly called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a keeping of a man in his right wits because so long as a man hath his wits about him he is master of his lusts but no sooner hath Dalilah brought that Sampson asleepe but the Philistims will be vpon him and depriue him of his strength he will be ouertaken with this lustfull Epilepsie and prophane the Temple of the Lord. But to open this point a little farther we must obserue that as we haue sensuall and reasonable faculties so it was Gods pleasure that those actions which are Elicitae or come naturally from the sensuall faculties should also be imperatae ordered and limited by the rationall therefore is the rationall facultie called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the guid and gouernour of our life and he deserues not the name of a man whose sense is not subiect vnto reason But the Spirit doth not onely note the reasonable soule but in an argument concerning the CHVRCH it meaneth that Soule as it is regenerated by Grace and then it putteth vs in mind that the care of our Soules must be more then reasonable it must be spirituall and not onely the best wit of man which is corrupt as appeares in the vnchast chastitie of the Heathen but the sanctifying Grace of God must set bounds to our lusts which will suffer them to passe no farther then they are allowed by Gods Law A man is an excellent creature if he be but a man if he keepe his reasonable Spirit how much more excellent would a Christian man be if he could continue a Christian and preserue in himselfe the Spirit of Grace I may not omit the word keepe it willeth vs to set a watch because we are apt to run riot whether the Spirit signifie Reason or Grace we must watch If reason we must watch that we admit not into our imaginations nor suffer our wits to discourse vpon lustfull fancies we liue in the middest of temptations and none are more insinuating then those that are pleasurable we must take heed therefore that our reason be not betwitched by them they will cunningly euchant vs and transforme vs into beasts before we are aware wherefore we must keepe a watch ouer our Reason and not onely ouer Reason but ouer Grace also that we grieue not the Holy Spirit that we quench him not that we doe not dispite him Ephes 4.30 ◠Thes 5.19 for the Holy Spirit of discipline will not abide in a Soule that is disposed vnto sinne Adspicis vt veniant ad candida tect a columbae the doue-like spirit delighteth to dwell in doue-like persons himselfe being chast in those that are chast Wherefore we must keepe our spirits that for our vnchastitie the Spirit of God forsake vs not You haue the first branch of the exhortation the second followeth This biddeth vs be carefull of that respect which we owe vnto our mate Let no man deale treacherously with his wife A wife a little before my Text is called a mans companion and the wife of his couenant Now you know that fraud in fellowship is abominable especially if that fellowship be established by couenant as wedsocke is and no fellowship vpon straiter couenants then wedlocke for therein there is a double couenant pactum hominis and pactum Dei the persons contracting doe plight their faith each to other that is pactum hominis Then God he commeth in as a partie to knit the knot and will haue this mutuall stipulation made in his sight and in his name so that both stand bound to God not onely to themselues neuer to loose this knot till death them
sinners euen such sinners of whom I am chiefe Now then J beseech thee let the power of my Lord be great according as thou hast spoken The Lord is slow to anger and of great mercie and forgiueth iniquitie and sinne Be mercifull J beseech thee to the impietie of thy seruant according to thy great mercie let the vngodlinesse of my heart of my mouth be blotted out of thy remembrance let it not bring vpon me the vengeance J deserue but create in me a new heart and touch my tongue with a cole from thine Altar that J which am vnworthy by reason of my scandalous crying sinne to meditate on or make mention of thy glorious Maiestie thy diuine Wisedome may haue a heart alwayes enditing good things and my blasphemous tongue may be turned into an instrument of thy glorie So shall my soule be filled as it were with marrow and fatnesse when J shall prayse thee with ioyfull lips and J shall sing forth thy wonderous mercie all the dayes of my life Heare me ô Father of mercie for giue me amend me and establish in me this holy purpose of my repentant heart to thy glorie and the comfort of enormous sinners for Jesus Christs sake by the powerfull operation of thy Holy Spirit Amen A SERMON PREACHED AT St ANDREWS IN WELLES A SCHISMATIQVE DOING PENANCE WHO HAD FOR MANY YEERES ESTRANGED HIMSELFE FROM THE COMMVNION OF OVR CHVRCH 1 CORINT 3.18 18 Let no man deceiue himselfe if any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world let him become a foole that he may be wise A Particular visible Church is built vpon two foundations Vnion and Communion a louing vnion of the faithfull and an holy communion in sacred things Both these must be preserued or else that Church will come to naught Now there were amongst the Corinthians that did vndermine these foundations some rent the vnion and the communion was corrupted by other-some St Paul wrot this Epistle to amend them both And marke what a distinct course he taketh He first setleth the vnion before he offereth to purge the communion And there is good reason why for though the louing vnion of the faithfull be vnprofitable if it be without a holy communion in sacred things yet is a holy communion in sacred things impossible if you take away the louing vnion of the faithfull Therefore lest St Paul should lose his labour in redressing of the communion he first taketh care of repayring the vnion The first thing then that in the Church of Corinth he reformes is Schisme and he spends well-nigh foure Chapters in reforming thereof in throughly searching into the disease and applying thereto a soueraigne remedy The words that now I haue read vnto you belong to the remedy and you shall find them to be a principall branch thereof Let vs come more closely to them Of medicinall remedies some are preseruatiue some are restoratiue The preseruatiue are for the sound the restoratiue are for the sicke You shall find them both in my Text and you shall find that they are Catholica remedia such remedies as doe or may concerne vs all The preseruatiue remedy is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 prouidence or the preuention of Schisme you haue it in these words Let no man deceiue himselfe The restoratiue is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 repentance or the recouering of a Schismatique it followeth in these words If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world let him be a foole that he may be wise But more distinctly In the preseruatiue we are to behold our naturall weakenesse and therefore to learne spirituall carefulnesse St Paul supposeth that we are prone to deceiue our selues and therefore aduiseth that no man should doe himselfe that wrong Let no man deceiue himselfe In the restoratiue we must behold first the distemper of a Schismatique and then the cure fitting to such a distemper The distemper is a carnall selfe-conceit a selfe-conceit for the man thinkes himselfe wise but the selfe-conceipt is but carnall as appeares by the limitation or extenuation rather that is added to his wisedome he is onely wise in this world Such is his distemper Whereof the first cure is an exalting humilitie The first branch is humilitie He must become a foole but he need not be disheartened there followeth an exaltation thereupon He becomes a foole that he may be wise These are the remedies And they are as I told you Catholica remedia such remedies as doe or may concerne vs all The preseruatiue doth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let no man deceiue himselfe The restoratiue may 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If any That which hath befalne this man may be the case of the best of vs all These are the particulars which GOD-willing I shall now enlarge and apply vnto this present occasion I pray GOD we may so doe it as that we all not this Penitent onely may be the better for it The first remedy is the preseruatiue and therein the first thing that I pointed out is our naturall weaknesse This St Paul supposeth we may gather it out of that which he aduiseth for in vaine were his aduise if there were not a truth in that which he supposeth but farre be it from vs to thinke that the Holy Ghost doth require any thing in vaine let it stand then for an vndoubted truth that we are prone by nature to deceiue our selues 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from whence the Verbe is deriued which is vsed by the Apostle signifieth a leauing of the right way which putteth vs in mind that in this world we are but way-faring men When we are admitted into the Church we are set in the path which will lead vs to our euerlasting home but when we are in it we may goe out of it It appeares too plainly in Adam and Eue and it is not to be expected that the children should be better then the parents especially seeing our restitution commeth short of that measure of grace which they had in their Creation It being true that we may the question is How it comes to passe that we doe goe out of the way and leaue the straight path wherein we are set the Scripture obserues two meanes the one without vs the other within vs that is the world this is concupiscence the world allures concupiscence inclines Adde hereunto a third that is the diuel he blancheth the world that it may allure more strongly and worketh concupiscence by perswasion that it may yeeld more readily and these betweene them consummate the deceipt whereby we are led out of the way But betweene these we must obserue a great difference that which worketh the deceipt from without is but an occasion that which worketh it from within is the true cause thereof the world the diuel Suadere possunt cogere non possunt they may sollicit powerfully but they cannot inforce vs vnwillingly to goe out of the way Physicall actions may be constrayned morall cannot I may haue
mine eyes forcibly layd open to see mine eares to heare and so the rest of my body may be constrayned to produce some worke but the powers of my reasonable soule can neuer be constrayned I cannot be constrayned to iudge otherwise then my vnderstanding leads me nor to chuse that which my will refuseth therefore our vnderstanding and our will must be actors principall actors in this deceipt And so St Iames telleth vs Cap. 1. 1 Iohn â— that He that is tempted is bayted and led aside by his owne concupiscence St Iohn insinuates as much when he telleth vs that All that is in the world is the lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes and the pride of life as if there were no deceipt in the world were it not that we did fasten our concupiscence vpon it Rom. 7. Finally St Paul telleth vs in his owne case Peccatum decepit me that which deceiued me was mine owne sinne And indeed he that first instilled sinne into vs gaue vs the seed of his owne sinne The Diuels sinne was selfe-deceipt for when he fell there was nothing besides himselfe that might deceiue him and that cunning Huntsman is not contented to make vs a prey except he take vs in the cords of our owne sinne except we follow the counsels of our owne hearts and doe that which is right in our owne eyes to disobey GOD and leaue the path of life It were easie to illustrate this in all sorts of sinnes but I will keepe my selfe to this present occasion to the sinne of Schisme The Diuel attempts two things against the truth of Religion the first is Priuation the second Deprauation a declining vnto the left-hand or to the right to the left-hand by making men Atheists to the right-hand by making them Separatists he would that all should be fooles and say in their hearts that there is no GOD or that GOD is without Prouidence that GOD knoweth not or eareth not for the things of this world And if he cannot so stifle Religion he endeauoureth for to leauen it whom he cannot draw to the left hand he will endeauour to draw to the right he will by corrupting of good principles maketh them fall vpon many vngodly conclusions and vse zeale for GOD to estrange themselues from GOD. Wofull experience hath the Church had of such Paralogismes in the Iewes who vpon this ground opposed CHRIST in the Gentiles that tooke this for a ground to quarrell with the Iewes and the Separatists of this latter age wherof we haue had more then a good many in this Countrey haue stumbled at this stone lest they should serue GOD amisse they haue refused to serue GOD at all Nazianzen in his time though in another case yet sauouring of this sinne cryed out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Orat. 40. O vnwarie warinesse ô imposture of the wicked-one that turneth Pietie into Impietie and ouercommeth reason by reason Who can consider this and not acknowledge the weaknesse of our nature This weakenesse may be resolued into our ouer-easie beleeuing and rash dis-beleeuing ouer-easie beleeuing of seducing Imposters that labour to instill their fancies into vs and rash dis-beleeuing of those whom GOD hath lawfully placed to rule ouer vs both which a man shall easily obserue in all Schismatiques But to acknowledge our naturall weakenesse is not sufficient the Apostle aduiseth vs to beware of it and indeed therefore is our naturall weaknesse remembred that it might stirre vs vp vnto spirituall carefulnesse not to doe that which we are prone to doe Let no man deceiue himselfe We must take heed of the occasions that from without offer to deceiue vs of Wolues in Sheepes clothing of an Angel of darkenesse turning himselfe into an Angel of light Try the spirits at St Iohn yea Try all things as St Paul willeth vs. 1 Iohn 4 1 Thes 5. â—1 In Iob we haue a prettie resemblance of the eare to the tast as the one doth try the meates which we are to take into our bodyes so should the other the words which we are to receiue into our soules But in vaine shall we try them if we doe not try our selues first for we must try them by our iudgement by our will Verum est index sui obliqui a peruerse iudgement cannot discerne truth from falsehood neither can an vntoward will make a right choyse when Good and Euill are presented vnto it he cannot choose but be deceiued by others that is first deceiued in himselfe wherefore seeing our iudgement and our will must be the rule by which we must try others our first care must be to set them straight our vnderstanding must be a good Logician our will a good Moralist if either be defectiue we deceiue our selues and we are verie apt to be deceiued by others It is a miserable thing for a man to be deceiued by others Platâ— in Crâ—tilâ— but to be deceiued by himselfe is most miserable cum Impostor â—e minimum quidem decedat we shall euer carrie about vs the Deceiuer in our bosoms and he shall haue that credit with vs as that we shall neuer so much as suspect his deceipt yea Sathan and the World shall euer haue their Agent with vs and make vs assacinates to destroy our selues Adde hereunto that this kind of deceipt makes vs vncapable of wholesome counsell for if our ignorance be onely priuatiue seldome doe we obstinate our selues against good instructions but if our reasonable powers be depraued and possest with qualities opposite vnto those which we should receiue there is much lesse hope of our amendment Intus apparens excludit alienum Nazianz. orat 1. selfe-deceipt is most refractorie and most hardly will he be brought backe into the way that being deceiued of himselfe wittingly and willingly went out of the way whereof this Penitent may be a liuely example vnto vs. And let this suffice concerning the Preseruatiue I come vnto the Restoratiue remedy wherein we are first to see the distemper of a Schismatique I told you it was a carnall selfe-conceipt First a selfe-conceipt the Schismatique thinkes himselfe wise GOD that indowed vs with the faculties of sense and reason gaue these faculties a double abilitie a direct and a reflected The direct is that whereby they receiue their obiect the reflect is that whereby they iudge of that receipt I will make it plaine to you by an example first of sense and then of reason Mine eye seeth a colour for example Greene hauing seene it it passeth a iudgement vpon the sight and knowes that is greene which it doth see the like may be obserued in hearing smelling tasting and the rest of the senses In like manner is it in our soule The vnderstanding apprehends some truth and hauing apprehended it it passeth a iudgement vpon it and knoweth that that is truth which it hath apprehended The like may be said of Good But we must marke here a difference betweene sense and reason as
his Successe is a performance so much is GODS mercie more forward then mans dutie And is not this a remarkable Successe Surely it is and so much is signified by Selah for Selah interpreted morally is a note of some great and some constant truth and such is that which is contained in my Text. You see the particulars whereof this holy Scripture doth occasion me to speake that we may all be the better for that which shall be spoken let vs by GODS assistance with Christian audience listen againe vnto them as they shall now be vnfolded briefly and in their order I begin at King Dauids Practise wherein the first thing obserued was the matter confessed and that is Sinne. Peccatum confitetur vt Publicanus non iustitias vt Pharisaeus he appeares befor GOD in the humilitie of the Publican not in the pride of the Pharisee He had many Prerogatiues for he was a man after GODS owne heart the Father of faithfull Kings the sweet Singer of Israel a liuely Type of our Sauiour CHRIST but he fixed his eyes vpon none of these neither came any of these into his mind he remembreth nothing but sinne And what doth this intimate but that his guid was not nature but grace For by nature we not onely desire to heare from others but also our selues would be Heralds of our owne vertues yea and are contentedly deceiued by setting and seeing them in a false light to haue others admire them but specially our selues to dote vpon them Euerie man naturally is a Laodicean and thinkes himselfe rich and increased in goods and in regard of his spirituall estate to want nothing But what our Sauiour CHRIST replyed to that Church is spoken to vs all Thou doest not know that thou art poore wretched blind and naked No man doth thinke on these things by nature and therefore when any man doth it is a signe of grace as it was in K. Dauid that thought rather what he wanted then what he had rather how vile then how good he was And indeed where grace is it fareth with our soules as it doth with our bodies If a man be sicke haue he neuer so stately reabes they cannot shelter haue he neuer so daintie fare it cannot rellish haue he neuer so soft a bed yet cannot rest his diseased body feeles nothing but the afflicting peccant humour Euen so when the remorse of conscience workes all our guifts be they neuer so great they appeare not they cannot couer our nakednesse they cannot satisfie our haunger and thirst neither doe they ease our torture though we haue them yet for the time we haue no vse of them we see we heare we feele nothing but sinne as experience teacheth them that haue beene assistants to soules distressed in this kind But it is not onely Sinne but Pâ—shang haynous and ennormous sinne that is here remembred King Dauid is as ambitious to amplyâ—ie his sinne as others are to amplysie their vertues for this word sigâ—ifieth Reuolt and Rebellion the highest improuements that can be of sinne You will acknowledge it if you distinguish inter Legemet Legis latorem euerie trespasse is a violating of the Law but to set at nought the Law-giuer and set our selues against him what is it but High-treason If men satisfie particular lusts they commit but particular sinnes as in Theft Adulterie Murder but Treason is vniuersâ—lis iniustitia it includes all kind of ennormities What then could King Dauid say more against sinne then to make it the character of the sonne of Belial that breakes GODS bonds and casts his cords from him peruersè imitatur Createrem suum vt sibi ipsi lex sit vsurps the Throne of GOD Yea because there is no neutralitie in this case for he that is not with GOD is against him and auersenesse from GOD is attended with aduersenesse to him for rebellion is that whereat the Diuel aymeth in reuolt Sinne doth muster vs in the Armie of the Dragon and ranketh vs with the malignant brood of the Serpent so much doth King Dauid signifie by this word and by so amplifying teacheth vs that we may noâ— mince sin but as we consider the Law which we transgresse so must we also the Law-giuer to whom our sinne doth reserre and we shall find that commonly it is of a higher nature then we suppose and is a plaine spirituall Treason Oh that all Adulterers and Murderers would herein be Dauids Schollers and then no doubt but out of that detestation which they haue of Treason they would profitably conclude how odious they deferue to be in the eyes of GOD themselues deserue to be for the sin which King Dauid amplyfieth is his owne he makes bold in this case with none but himselfe It is a strange peruersenesse of our conscience to be sharpe sighted a farre off when we view others but to be purblind at hand when we looke on our selues our perspectiues multiply the motes that are in other mens eyes and make them appeare as great as beames but the beames that are in our owne eyes they so diminish that they scarce â—â—peare so bigge as moates How doe we detest that in others which we suffer in our own brests And how many would we send to Hell for that where-with our selues hope to climbe to Heauen Sic nemo in sese tentat descendere nemo selfe-loue is perswaded that all is well at home But euerie man is best knowne to himselfe and therefore euerie man should study himselfe most and if he doe though haply others be bad yet will he find himselfe to be worse and confesse with St Paul 1 Tim. 1◠〈◊〉 Sam. 24. Peccatorum ego primus and say as this King doth in another place I haue sinned I haue done wickedly but what haue these sheepe done No mans sinne will appeare greater then our owne And so much of the matter confessed I come now to the manner of confessing The word vsed by the Psalmist is borrowed out of the Law Leuit. 5. and Numb 5. and so alludes to the Ceremoniall Sacrifice wherein the offerer was to lay his hand vpon the Sacrifice in acknowledgement of what he deserued and wherewith he was to be relieued The words of my Text containe the Morall of that Ceremonie which teacheth that we must manifest a sense of our sinne and in that manifestation must first lay the blame where it is deserued and then seeke onely to him in whom we may find succour Confesse we must that is the manifestation but the confession must be made against our selues who onely are blame-worthy and we must present our confession vnto the Lord from whom onely we may expect succour But a little more fully to rip vp these points The Septuagint hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which sheweth that in Confession there must be a concurrencie both of soule and body and both must arraigne vs at the Barre for it is verbum forense If it were onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the
euidence of the tongue were enough but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 imports that there is an inward sense of the outward euidence And indeed St Cyprian telleth vs concerning the inward sense that confession is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 conscientiae St Austin that it doth pondus animi profâ—rre St Ambrose He that confesseth ingemit cuâ—pae dolore speakes with sighes and groanes that cannot be exprest And indeed this inward sense must be the first step of Confession and we must be resolued of that truth which is deliuered by Nazianzene 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is a principall thing in Confession to be touched at the heart But then ex abundantia cordis os loquitur and therefore St Austin saith that to confesse is ex occulto et tenebroso procedere alluding to Lazarus his comming out of the graue and to shew that indeed we detest sinne a true penitent will vtter it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nazianz. so did Manasses so did the prodigall child and so doth King Dauid in this place If any man be spare of speech in this kind Tertullian will tell him that dissimulatio est consilium contumaciae it is to be doubted that he is not so out of charitie but he may be reconciled againe to his sinne whereas Confessio error is is professio deserendi and he that outwardly and inwardly doth confesse obligeth himselfe to forsake sinne both to GOD and man Obligeth himselfe I say for the verbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is iudiciall and the obligation is the stronger by how much the stipulation is more solemne and if the arraignment passe before GOD and men there is no trauersing of such an Indictment the Indictment which our selues put in and our selues doe signe to be Billa vera But as Confession signifieth a giuing in of euidence or rather the finding of the Bill of Indictment so we must particularly see against whom the Bill is found King Dauid finds it against himselfe he layeth the blame where it was deserued and confesseth against himselfe It was condemned long since for an Heresie in vnchast Martion to hold peccata non voluntate sed necessitate patrari with that maxime he thought to excuse his incontinencie For the ground of this pretended necessitie men haue sought to opposite places some to Heauen and some to Hell the opinion is ancient that setcheth it from either Adam was the Author of the first he layd his sinne to GOD The woman that thou gauest me gaue me of the fruit and I did eat And no lesse ancient is that that fetcheth it from Hell Eue layd the blame vpon the Diuel The Serpent said she beguiled me and I did eat These Masters haue had many Schollars I would they had not still But to the first the sonne of Syrach spake in his dayes Say not the Lord hath caused me to erre for he hath no need of sinfull men he is a GOD of pure eyes and cannot behold wickednesse And to the second St Austin Non est hoc tollere sed geminare peccatum the excuse is worse then the fault for as strong as the Diuel is suadere potest cogere non potest he may verie powerfully commend it vnto vs but it is neuer entertained but by our good will So that we may spare much vnnecessarie paines of climing into Heauen to know what GOD hath decreed or descending into Hell to inquire after the Diuels power we must stay at home and there sind the right partie for man as Soloman speakes peruerteth his owne waies and euerie man saith St Iames when he is tempted is baited and led aside by his owne lusts so that the rhetoricall translatio criminis whether it be de compendio or per circuitum as St Austin speakes on this Text must haue no place in Confession herein quo quis humilior eo laudabilior the lesse excuse the more grace And if men in Confession may not deriue their blame to others how much lesse may they vaunt of that which they doe amisse And yet how many are there which not onely some out their owne filthinesse but also glorie in their shame Isay 3. The shew of whose countenance witnesseth against them who discouer their sinne as Sodom did Cap. 6. and desire not to hide it of whom GOD complaines in Ieremie Were they ashamed when they committed abhomination They were not ashamed neither could they blush Too too many there are that set themselues down in the seat of the scorner and thinke that it is their highest commendation not onely to haue sinews of Iron in their necke but plates of Brasse on their fore-head to be not onely incorrigible but impudent also whose sinnes that are indeed the workes of darknesse are become so shamelesse as to walke abroad at noone day Witnesse the blasphemies the impurities the violences that are so frequent obiects of euerie mans eyes and eares But this is not to confesse against our selues for to confesse against our selues is to be humbled not to be exalted it taketh downe our pride and doth not hearten our shamelessenesse This is the first branch of that euidence which we giue in and it was the first thing noted by imposing of hands vpon the Sacrifice But there was another meant also which was the pointing out of the meanes and person by whom we are relieued and that is GOD in CHRIST which is taught in the second part of the euidence the confessing to the Lord. To confesse to the Lord is not to informe him of that which he doth not know but rather as St Austin speakes Affectum nostrum patefacimus in te Domine confitendo tibi miserias nosiras we adde nothing to GODS knowledge Chrysâ— 5. but rather reueale our assection to GOD-ward Confessio fraudis nostrae est laudis Dei which the verie word Iadah in Hebrew notes including in it both But the affection that we reueale in our Confession is double it is affectus timoris and confidentiae which looke to the two Artributes of GOD that temper his prouidence in gouerning the world I meane Iustice and Mercie for confessio peccatorum est testimonium conscientiae timentis Deum as St Chrysostome no man can doe it but he doth acknowledge and tremble at the lustice of GOD. Yet not the Iustice onely doth affect him but the Mercie also for confessio poenitentis ad laudem pertinet ignoscentis because as we tremble when we consider GOD is iust so considering that he is mercifull we hope in him also Thus to seare thus to hope is to giue glorie vnto GOD and to giue him glorie is to confesse vnto him You expect haply that importuned by the Romish Commentaries on this place I should fall vpon the controuersie of Auricular confession but I know that the Pulpit especially in the time of Lent is rather for Ghostly counsell then for disputes and therefore I forbeare onely giuing this note that our Church doth not condemne it as simply euill and
therefore hath in the Liturgie restored it to its natiue puritie Onely it were to be wished that so farre as the Church allowes it we would practise it for I am perswaded that many liue and dye in enormous sinnes that neuer made any vse of it nor receiued any comfort from the power of the Keyes The confessing to the Lord doth not exclude confessing vnto man so the due limitation be obserued But enough of the Confession There is one point more to be obserued before we come to the Successe and that is that this confession of King Dauid was onely in purpose he was come no farther then dixi a sense he had of his sinne but he was not yet come so farre as to vtter it though he was disposing himselfe thereunto But dixit was not onely verbum oris but cordis also promptitudinem alacritatem hoc verbo notat saith St Bernard he was willing and ready to make his confession he adds Saul dixit peccaui sed quia non dixit antequam diceret corde priusquam ore as King Dauid did non audiuit Deus transtulit pecâ—atum tuum he heard not so good newes from Samuel as King Dauid did from Nathan The Lord hath put away thy sinne The lesson rising hence is pij non trahuntur ad Tribunal Dei sed sponte accedunt knowing that there is no shelter against GOD but onely in GOD we must preuent our summons and resolue vpon a voluntarie apparance Finally putting the Purpose to the Confession we see that the children of GOD vse not to continue in their sinnes but so soone as they are roused the principles of grace doe worke and they humbly shreeue themselues to GOD. And so haue you the first maine point in this Text which openeth vnto vs King Dauids Practise I come now to the Successe thereof which is the forgiuenesse of the sinne Where we may first see the difference betweene Triâ—unals on Earth and the Tribunall of Heauen On Earth Non est confessi causa tuenda rei Confession is the cause of condemnation it is not so at the Tribunall of GOD there though it be not the cause as Papists straine it yet it is the meanes of absolution Whereby you may perceiue that the word here vsed is a phrase of the Gospell and not of the Law For iudgements of men tread the steps of the Law of GOD 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there is no reliefe for a poore sinner to be found in the Law he that will haue it must seeke iâ— in the Gospel And yet the word here vsed is borrowed out of the Law but it is the Ceremoniall Law and the Ceremoniall Law is if not wholly yet for the most part Gospel But more distinctly to handle this point We must obserue the Matter forgiuen and the Manner of forgiuing The matter forgiuen is the Iniquitie of his sinne It is disputed what is meant here by â—â—â—quitie whether culpa or poena Some vnderstand poenam and thinke that an allusion is made in this word vnto the message of Nathan wherein GOD doth remit the heauiest stroke of his wrath but yet retaines some part in punishing the child and permitting Absolon to rebell and abuse king Dauids concubines so Theodoret Deus non condigna poena Dauideni puniuit Some vnderstand culpam and will haue this phrase to be an amplification of that as if Superbia defendens or Taciturnitas celans or Impietas contra Deum assurgens or some such great guilt were meant by this phrase But as I doe not censure these opinions which may well stand So I thinke the phrase lookes backe vnto that word which was in the Confession The sinne confessed was Peshang and this is but an analysis of this word for Gnaon Catai what is it word for word but the peruersenesse of my aberration Catah is an aberration from the Scope or Marke whereat we ayme all men ayme at felicitie but most men stray from it because they are not led by that Law that guides vnto it the violating whereof is called Catah But some doe stray out of meere ignorance and they onely breake the Law some out of stubbornnesse which will not submit themselues to the Law-giuer these mens sinne is called peruersenesse which GOD is said here to forgiue So that Dauid did not confesse more against himselfe then GOD includes in his pardon well may GOD exceed our desire he neuer doth come short thereof if it doe concerne our spirituall our eternall good as he doth exclude no sinner that doth confesse so doth he except against no sinne that is confessed You haue heard the Matter of the pardon now heare the Manner And the manner makes the Remission answerable to the Confession The Confession had an inward sense and an outward euidence so hath the Remission For GOD spake the word by Nathan to resolue king Dauids faith but he also gaue a tast of his truth by working ease in King Dauids heart Both are included in the word but specially the latter for Nasa signifieth to vnburden as if the soule were burdened with sinne And indeed sinne is a burden a burden as King Dauid else-where speakes too heauie for him to beare 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 heauier saith Chrysostome then any lead And no wonder For if euerie euill doe make a heauie heart much more spirituall euill cloggeth the Spirits makes a man sincke inwardly and bow outwardly you can haue no better character of such a deiected soule then that which we find in the penitentiall Psalmes It is verie true that many walke lightly and skip frolickly as if they bare no weight though they be fraught with sinne but the answer is plaine Nihil ponderat in loco suo while sinne resides in that part which commits the sinne it giues such content to the concupiscence that dwels therein as being the desired obiect thereof that it presseth not at all neither is it euer burdenous till it be brought vnto the conscience which onely hath an eye to discerne it a scale to weigh it and a sense wherewith to iudge of that weight and when GOD inhibendo with-holding those vanities which hinder the conscience from weighing and exhibendo putting the whole measure of sinne into the scales doth rouse vs then the most carelesse and the most senslesse shall be driuen to acknowledge that indeed it is a great burden But the penitents comfort is this that as he feeles it so he hath one by whom he may be eased of it the putting on the hands vpon the Sacrifice did ceremonially testifie as much but the morall thereof is in St Iohn Behold the Lambe of God which taketh away the sinnes of the world Qui tollit a plaine translation of Nasa But CHRIST speakes it more plainly Mat. 11. Come to me all ye that labour and are heauie loaden and I will ease you Where also we find that it is the Lord onely that forgiueth sinnes They spake truly in the Gospel that excluded all
others Lib. 5. cap. 1â— saying Who can forgiue linnes but God onely St Irenie giues the reason Quomodo rectè remissa peccata nisi ille ipse in quem peccauimus donet remissionem He is the only I egislator as St Iames speaks and concludes that he onely hath power to condemne and absolue Therefore doth GOD Esay 43 and 44 claime this as his peculiar it is the peculiar of his Word to acertaine our Faith and of his Spirit to vnburden our Soules and insteed of the heauinesse that did oppresse to cheare vs vp with spirituall ioy Hitherto you haue seene a good correspondencie betweene the Co fession and the Remission but now you must heare of a great difference for Dauid was come no farther then Dixi he had a good purpose to confesse but of GOD which is the searcher of the heart he witnesseth that he was come to Remisisti granted the parden before it was asked so doth St Austin paraphrase these words Vox mea in ore nondum erat sed auris Dei iam in corde erat And what is this but a proofe of that gratious promise which GOD himselfe hath made in the Prophet Esay 〈◊〉 6 5. Oâ—at â— Orat. 15. before they call I will answer and while they speake I will heare 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cryed out Nazianzene when he conâ—dered this But else-where he giues the reason of this celeritie â—ra est opus alienum when GOD is angry he goes against his owne natuâ—e but eius proprium est misereri it is as it were naturall to him to do good vnto men You need no better proofe then the parable of the proâ—igall child man cannot be so forward to receiue good but GOD is much more forward to bestow it and what greater incouragement to confesse most humbly then to obserue that GOD deales with a confessing sinner most gratiously And indeed we ought to obserue it for which was the last point to be handled on the Text the successe is remarkable It is signed with Selah Not to trouble you with the vse of this word in Musicke The learned make hereof a double morall vse for it is either a note of so â—e great thing and then they render it by the superlatiue degree or of some constant thing and so the Caldee rendreth it in aeternum Both these morall vses sit our purpose for the two maine branches of my Text are great and constant truthes What is there in the Confession that is not great Is it not a great thing to see a man so to put off selfe-loue and pride the properties of his corrupt nature and not onely acknowledge himselfe to be but also to humble himselfe as being a sinfull wretch To vse that rhetoricke wherewith he was wont to shift off his blame in amplyfying of his owne sinne In being so charitable as to eâ—cuse all the more to accuse himselfe and the more to set forth GODS glorie not to sticke euen in the hearing of men to be the publisher of his owne miserie This is great but due But how much more great is it to see GOD the Iudge of man so little to be moued with the heynousnesse of sinne as to send a Prophet to comfort an humble sinner yea to send his Spirit to ease the broken heart to take off the load from his Rebels and lay it vpon his deare Sonne And herein to preuent him who might well thinke himselfe happy if he spead after long attendance Certainly these things are great the more great because not due But as they are great so they are constant also for what king Dauid did must be done by all and all in so doing may looke for the same successâ— Salomon hath a generall rule Proâ— 28. He that hides his sinne shall not prosper but he that confesseth them and forsaheth them shall find mercie The Apostles confirme it If we confesse our sinnes God is faithfull to forgiue saith St Iohn and St Paul If we would iudge our selues we should not be iudged of the Lord. But the more is the pittie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there are many as Tertullian speakes which either deferre Nazianz. or abhorre this worke of Confession vt publicationem sui as if they should be too well knowne thereby either to GOD or men praesumo pudoris magis memores quam salutis more respectiue of a little false credit then of eternall life whereby you may perceiue the truth of St Chrysostomes note Inuertunt homines Dei ordinem Diaboli instinctu Deus enim pudorem dedit peccato confessioni siduciam but Diabolus peccato sidâ—â—iam confessioni pudorem the world hath too many spectacles of this peruerse dealing to whom we may vse the words of Tertullian Ne tu verecunde bonus qui ad delinquendum exporrigis frontem ad confitendum contrahis Is it not forsâ—oth a goodly modestie to be impudent in sinne and shamefast in the censure thereof But to what end doth man auoid this shame Surely to fall into a worse for he that will not be ashamed voluntarily shall against his will be put to shame Certainly the shall at the last day when GOD shall reueale all secrets in the sight of Angels and men Yea haply GOD will bring it to light in this world for some men haue their maske taken off here and their nakednesse discouered before they dye so that it is ill prouidence è malis maximum when we must chooâ—e one of two euils to reserue our selues vnto the worst And whereas he which accuseth himselfe need feare no accuser to spare himselfe that he may haue many and those that are much worse to accuse him But if a man be senslesse that he will not prouide what is best for himselfe yet let him not be so gracelesse as to doe wrong vnto GOD Peccator cum sis Nazianz. accede vt glorifices Deum occasionem praebeas 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â— Si dubitas accedere inhibuisti bonitatem and we shall find that GOD can worse brooke the contempt of the Gospel then the breach of the Law Wherefore let vs listen to the Sonne of Syrach Cap. 4 and not be ashamed to confesse our sinne let vs sowe in teares that we may reape in ioy for blessed are they which now mourne for they shall be comforted Let euerie one of vs haue that good testimonie of our conscience which Iob had I haue not hid my sinne Cap. 31 as Adam conceiuing iniquitie in my bosome and we shall be able with King Dauid to pray and pray with hope Lord haue mercie vpon me heale my soule for I haue sinned against thee If we follow Dauids practise and say as he did we will confesse our sinnes against our selues vnto the Lord we shall be able vpon our owne experience euerie man to boast of King Dauids successe and to say Lord thou hast forgiuen the iniquitie of my sinnes A SERMON PREACHED AT WHITE-HALL
LVKE 22. VERSE 60 61 62. 60 And immediately while he yet spake the cocke crew 61 And the Lord turned and looked vpon Peter and Peter remembred the word of the Lord how he said vnto him Before 〈◊〉 cocke crow thou shalt deny me thrice 62 And Peter went out and wept bitterly THESE words were read this day in the Church â—ent and they are verie agreeable to the Season an Argument of Repentance to the dayes of Humiliation Now Repentance is here deliuered not in a Rule but in an Example but such an example as deserues our best regard because the person is of principall note no meaner a man then St Peter is here presented vnto vs in the forme of a Penitent Let vs then looke vpon him And if we doe we shall see him here downe and vp taking a fall and â—ysing againe And indeed Repentance is nothing but a rysing from a â—all Therefore we may well resolue St Peters Case and my Text into his Fall and into his Rising His fall Peter denyed Christ a sore fall because from a high Rocke and that Rocke was CHRIST That Fall was sore but it is made sorer in that it was taken so soone and so often Soone before the cocke crew not many houres after he was fore-warned and fore-armed Often before the cocke crew Peter denied CHRIST thrice being ouer shooes he would ouer eares and the â—arther he went the worse he was So Peter came downe But he got vp againe and the Text will teach vs of his Rising first What were the Meanes and secondly What were their Effects The meanes were two one outward another inward The outward was a timely signe The signe was the crowing of a cocke an ordinarie thing but here seruing to an extraordinarie vse And that signe was timely immediately euen while he was speaking did the cocke crowe no sooner was Peter downe but he was put in mind of his Fall Neither was he onely put in mind by the outward meanes but he was also by an inward made sensible thereof euen by the helpe of CHRIST CHRIST turned and looked the Workes seeme corporall but indeed they are spirituall for he that turned he that looked was the Lord and he turned and looked as a Lord both Workes were spiritually operatiue Witnesse the Effects The Effects are as the Meanes were in number two each Meanes produced his Effect The Cocke did crowe and what came of it presently Peter remembred the words that the Lord saio vnto him he acknowledged CHRIST to be a true Prophet and gaue glorie to his truth This is the Effect of the outward meanes The inward meanes wanted not his Effect also CHRIST turned he looked and loe Peter is presently changed He was ouer-bold he now findeth his weaknesse for he went out he durst no longer abide by the Temptation Peter was senslesse he now groweth tender hearted for he wept bitterly the floods of sorrow that ouer-whelmed his soule gusht out in streames of teares that trickled downe his eyes There is one thing more in the Text which I may not omit and that is the correspondencie of the rising to the fall Peter was quickly downe before the crowing of the cocke and he was as quickly vp euen as soone as the cocke did crowe Secondly Peter had meanes to rise the cocke did crowe CHRIST turned CHRIST looked and Peter did vse the meanes which he had for he remembred he went out he wept Finally Peter endeauoured to make his Repentance as afflictiue as his Sinne had been offensiue for as he denied shamefully so did he weepe bitterly You haue seene our Penitent but not so throughly but we may all desire to see him againe And verily if with a reflecting eye we doe deliberately reuiew him in him we may profitably behold our selues behold what we are behold what we should be are in his fall should be in his rising GOD giue vs all such single eyes I resume the Fall Peter denied CHRIST Rom. 10 It is a rule of the Apostles That with the heart a man belieueth vnto righteousnesse and with the mouth he confesseth to saluation whereby we learne that it is not enough for vs to stand in good tearmes with GOD except we also let the world know what good he hath done for our soules we may forfeit the former if we be not resolute in performing the latter CHRIST doth assure it in the Gospel saying that if any deny him before men he will deny them before his Father which is in Heauen This ground must guid vs in iudging aright of St Peters fall by it you shall find that it was a sinfull fact which that you may the better see I will distinctly obserue the Fact and the Sinne. The Fact was a deniall but it was negatio duplex a double deniall First Negatio notitiae and secondly Negatio consortij by former verses we are directed so to vnderstand it First he denyed that he had any acquaintance with CHRIST and secondly he denyed also that he had any dependencie on him This was his Fact And this Fact was sinfull for it contained a plaine contradiction to his Calling and his Conscience To his Calling Peter was CHRISTS Apostle could he be one of CHRISTS Apostles and not know him A chiefe Apostle and haue nothing to doe with him A flat contradiction to his Calling Neither to his Calling onely but to his Conscience also For was not Peter the man that Matthew Cap. 16 confessed Thou art CHRIST the Sonne of the liuing God and was well rewarded for that confession And had he not acquaintance with him A flat contradiction to his Conscience Was not Peter the man that Matthew cap. 19. said Behold we haue forsaken all and followed thee and was warranted an exceeding gaine for a trifling losse and had he no dependencie on him So that the denyall containeth two notable vntruths wherewith St Peter is iustly charged and charging him therewith we keepe our selues within the reasonable bounds which St Bernard hath set Peccauit Petrus De Gratia libero Arbit it is out of question that St Peter did sinne in denying but yet he did sinne Non odiendo Christum sed se nimis amando he bare no malitious mind against CHRIST but was willing to sleepe in a whole skin And that he might so doe he suppressed the truth in his heart and his tongue vttered these vntruths Wherefore his faith was still vnfained and his loue vndoubted but Constantia turbata est his constancie was shaken Loue of CHRIST and feare of danger had so shrewd a conflict that the feare of danger got the vpper-hand of the loue of CHRIST So that though he continued inwardly a good man yet durst he not out of the good treasurie of his heart bring forth his good things These are reasonable bounds but they are diuersly transgrest for some doe racke and some doe shrinke the sinne They racke it that in their Tracts De Apostasia Sanctorum put
heart but the feare of the world onely stayeth vs from confessing it with our mouthes so that the loue maketh vs sinne willingly but feare vnwillingly yea loue maketh vs inwardly to prize the world aboue CHRIST but feare maketh vs onely to deny CHRIST that we may escape the malice of the world Whereupon it commeth to passe that of the three kinds of denyers of CHRIST which I described before though all may recouer yet they that fall through the loue of the world recouer more hardly and they recouer more easily that fall onely out of the feare thereof And such was S. Peters casu I pray GOD that ours neuer be worse it will be likely that as he so we also will not so fall but that we will rise againe But let vs behold his Rising behold the meanes and behold their effects The meanes were two whereof the first was outward a timely signe The signe was the crowing of a cocke an ordinarie thing but by our Sauiour vsed to an extraordinarie end It is familiar with GOD so to deale I will instance onely in the Sacraments Water a common Element yet designed to be a Bath of Regeneration Bread and wine our daily food yet consecrated to make vs partakers of the Body and Blood of CHRIST to shew his power GOD doth so honour the meanest of his Creatures and for their vse teacheth vs to giue them their due regards But I must not forget that there is some Analogie to be obserued in the Creature when it is called to serue the power of the Creator CHRIST here maketh vse of the crowing of a cocke but see how fitly it serueth his turne The cocke crowing is as it were the harbinger of the Sunne it giueth warning vnto men that the Sunne is repairing vnto their Horizon and ready to dispell the darkenesse of the night by shedding forth his beames vpon the face of the Earth Now CHRIST is the Sunne of Righteousnesse and whither he commeth thither commeth light spirituall light he was comming to S. Peter after the mid-night as it were of his fall and of this he gaue notice to S. Peter by the crowing of a cocke But what is this to vs I will not insist vpon signes in generall by which GOD is pleased familiarly to put vs in mind of our dutie or let vs see the state wherein we stand I will keepe my selfe to the AlI gorie which the Fathers make of this signe They tell vs that GOD hath granted to enerie member of his Church two crowing cockes by which he doth awaken him when he falleth into a spirituall sleepe and they are Concionator and Conscientia the Preacher outwardly and the Conscience inwardly doe or should serue for morall crowing cockes Nathan was such a cocke vnto Dauid Ionah vnto Nineueh S. Peter to the Iewes that crucified CHRIST when they called them to repent and returne vnto GOD. And Christian people ought also to esteem their Preachers such they must esteem them as crowing cocks whose vovce soundeth nothing but this Eph. 4. Surge qui dormis Awake thou that sleepest stand vp from the dead and IESVS CHRIST shall giue thee light Rom. 13 they tell vs that our night is past and our day is come therefore we must cast away all workes of darkenesse and put vpon vs the Armour of light Besides this outward crowing cocke euerie man hath another that croweth within him that is his Conscience it is said to be a thousand witnesses and the Sonne of Syrach doth tell vs that from it we shall learne more then from seuen watchmen that are set on a Tower And verily many a man would sleepe vnto death were he not often rowsed by this Cocke Wherefore though CHRIST tooke extraordinarie care of St Peter we may not thinke that he doth neglect vs that hath prouided that which outwardly and inwardly doth awaken and rouse vs he hath not left vs destitute of crowing cockes But I told you the Cocke did not onely crow but crowed timely it was a timely signe that CHRIST gaue to St Peter immediately euen while he was speaking did the cocke crow Peter was denying him forswearing him cursing and in the verie heat of his sinning the Cocke crew We can haue no greater proofe that the mercie of GOD is free then when we see a man reclaymed euen then when he is most transported with his vnruly affection And GOD hath magnified his mercie thus more then once it was St Pauls case also he was breathing out threats and enraged to make hauocke of the Church when a light from Heauen shone about him and by a mercifull violence brought him to bethink himselfe And haply if euerie one of vs obserue the course of his life he may remember that some good Sermon working some religious inward motiues hath made him step backe while he was stepping rashly into the pitfall of the Diuel Assuredly when we are once going there would be no staying if we were not by so prouident a hand and by so gratious violence seasonably held backe Wherefore we must acknowledge it as a speciall benefit of GODS mercie that he then commeth in with his helpe when we are past hope Theophylact goeth one step farther O bonitatem Etiam cum ligaretur etiam cum negaretur non neglexit discipuli salutem How wonderfull is the goodnesse of CHRIST When his enemies were binding him he tooke care to loose St Peter out of the snare of the Diuel yea while S. Peter was denying him ashamed of his bands CHRIST was not ashamed of S. Peter but recouered him out of the iawes of the Lyon as one of his deare Sheepe A great improuement of CHRISTS compassionate bowels and incouragement vnto all that haue they been neuer so enormous sinners CHRIST will be to them as he shewed himselfe to S. Peter a most mercifull Sauiour You haue heard the outward Meanes I hasten now vnto the inward The inward Meanes are CHRISTS helpe he turned and looked that which he prayed for in this Chapter that Peters faith should not faile he performed now It is disputed whether these Acts were corporall and the iudgement of Diuines are different but all agree that they were spirituall also if it be granted that they were corporall S. Austin argueth it from the Title that is here giuen vnto CHRIST which is The Lord CHRIST was now at the Barre in the eye of flesh and blood a poore prisoner yet doth the Holy Ghost honour him with the name Lord and else-where calleth him that was crucified The Lord of Glorie The Lord of Life that present condition of his manhood did not derogate ought from the glorie of his Godhead that wrought answerable to its power when CHRIST seemed to be altogether in the power of others it wrought vpon the soule and conscience of S. Peter and did there presse him being so farre gon with Petre vbi es bethinke thy selfe O Peter what is become of thee and what is done by thee
should rise againe The last point of this Text remaines which is the correspondencie betweene the rising and the fall which I told you consists in three points First Peter was soone downe and soone vp the same night that he was wounded he was healed and cured the same night that he fell sicke many perish through their procrastination and their case becommeth desperate before they enter into consideration thereof no sooner did the cocke crow CHRIST turne and looke but Peter came to himselfe But what doe we doe What vse doe we make of the time giuen vs to repent How little doth aduersitie prosperitie words stripes preuaile with vs We are so farre from repenting quickly that we doe not repent at leasure And what is the reason We doe not make vse of good meanes whilst GOD doth grant them vs The Cocke did crow and Peter did remember CHRIST turned and lookt Peter went out and wept bitterly he did not receiue the grace of GOD in vaine It were to be wisht that we did herein resemble him and not frustrate either the outward or the inward Meanes Esay 47. But the Minister may complaine I haue laboured in vaine I haue spent my strength in vaine Yea GOD himselfe may complaine Rom. 10. All the day long haue I stretcht forth my hand vnto an vnbeleeuing and gaine saying Nation Or if we are not so gracelesse as to neglect the two former correspondencies certainly it is a hard thing to find the man that is like to St Peter in the third and proportioneth his Repentance to his Offence Great faults should not be a little sorrowed for but we should afflict our soules for sinne as much as we haue solaced them therewith Certainly St Peter did so Yea Clemens Romanus obserueth that St Peter euerie night about the crowing of the Cocke did rise and pray with teares vntill the morning If he did lament so vncessantly in whom inward pietie did not faile but onely the outward constancie was shaken what should we doe that sinne so willingly and with so high a hand We should better obserue and obserue more dayes of Humiliation then most of vs doe Bitter teares if euer are now most seasonable not onely the compunction for our owne sinnes but compassion also towards the distracted Churches woefull calamitie doth importune vs for them We make grieuous lamentation for a friend if his soule be departed from his body but who is much troubled for himselfe when GOD by sinne is driuen from his soule If but a neighbours House or some small Village be laid wast by casualtie of fire as many as heare of it are moued with compassion and readily afford some succour But how many Townes yea Countreys Members of the Orthodoxe Church are exhausted and made desolate by famine sicknesse the attendants vpon the blood-thirstinesse of the Sword and there are few Samaritans that haue any Bowels All like the Priest and the Leuite passe by yea and passe ouer these troubles as if they did nothing concerne them but onely to administer Table-talke or fill vp the wast of their idle times I will onely remember you of GODS censure of such stupiditie And I pray GOD it may make vs all more sensible of our owne and of the Churches case In the day of the Iewes calamitie did the Lord God of Hosts call to weeping and to mourning to baldnesse and to girding with Sack-cloth and behold ioy and gladnesse slaying Oxen and killing Sheepe eating flesh and drinking wine Let vs eat and drinke for to morrow we shall dye So said those senslesse wretches But it was renealed in mine eares saith the Prophet Esay by the Lord of Hosts Esay 22. surely this iniquitie shall not be purged from you till you dye saith the Lord God of Hosts He said it to them and in them to vs happie are we if other mens harmes make vs beware But I conclude This Text is an example and an example is the easiest doctrine for apprehension and most powerfull in operation so that if we doe not learne it there is something amisse in our head and there is something amisse in our heart if we be not the better for it Wherefore let vs all turne to him and humbly beseech him that we may be made mindfull of our frailtie and set in a good course of our penitencie that we may be as apt to rise as we are to fall and iudge our selues as seuerely as we gracelesly offend our God So may God accept our teares clense our soules and make vs all as he did repenting Peter his faithfull seruants in this world and glorious Saints in the world to come A SERMON PREACHED AT GREENWICH MATTHEW 3. VERSE 16 17. 16 And Iesus when hee was baptized went vp straight way out of the water and loe the Heauens were opened vnto him and hee saw the Spirit of God descending like a Doue and lighting vpon him 17 And loe a voyce from Heauen saying This is my beloued Sonne in whom I am well pleased IN this dayes Gospel our Sauiour CHRIST taught Nicodemus Ioh. 3. that Except a man be borne againe or from aboue he cannot see he cannot enter into the Kingdome of Heauen and St. Iohn the Apostle teacheth how a man may know whether he be so borne againe or no. He that beleeueth that Iesus is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Christ or Anointed of the Lord is borne of God Now a fairer proofe of that Article or a more sufficient warrant for our saith therein the whole Bible doth not yeeld then that which was deliuered at the Baptisme of CHRIST and is contained in those words that now I haue read vnto you For here you must my Text doth will you so behold GOD the FATHER anointing Iesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power as St. Peter speaketh Acts 10. And see with all how wel the Text fitteth the time for this is Trinitie Sunday and what is the Text but a report of the cleare the comfortable presence concurrence of the blessed Trinity in Sacring Iesus to be the Christ Here is Pater in voce Filius in carne Spiritus Sanctus in columba the Sonne in our nature receiues the Vnction the Holy Ghost in the shape of a Doue becomes the Vnction and the Father in a voyce from Heauen beareth witnesse to the grace that floweth from that Vnction In this great worke euery Person beareth his part But more distinctly in this Sacring of Iesus wee may learne from my Text First What were the circumstances Secondly What was the substance of it The circumstances were two First the Time when Iesus was baptized Secondly the Place without the water or vpon the Riuers side for Iesus came straight way out of the water and loe c. In the substance we shall see first Quis who it was that was Sacred it was euen the same Person that was baptized the Sonne of GOD in the nature of man it was Iesus Secondly
not to them or stoppes their eares that they heare it not But this doeth rather suspend the worke then alter the nature of their Conscience it doeth not make it a not-condemning Conscience of a condemning one How many theiues and murderers are very frolicke not only when they act their wickednesse but when they are in the Gaile when they are brought to the Barre yea when they are casting off the Gallowes But wise men that see them in this humour censure it for vnreasonable stupiditie and desperatenesse they hold it not to be comfortable securitie No more is that which wee see in sinners who while they drinke in iniquitie with greedinesse haue stonie hearts and brasen foreheads If in the dayes of grace wee make vnto our selues the dayes of Iudgement and sift our selues vnpartially according vnto GODS word before we bee tried at GODS Barre and finde our selues discharged with a not guiltie and an Euge Serue bone well done seruant faithfull and true enter into thy Masters ioy this is indeed a not-condemning Conscience The second Rocke is that many confound a tender Conscience with a guiltie Conscience and plod more vpon the Heart of a man then they doe vpon the Heart of a Christian man they consider not the prerogatiue that the Elect haue by being in CHRIST into whom when they were ingrafted they were iustified from all sinne So that though afterwards they may become damnable through their fall yet damned they cannot be because their repentance and saith cannot bee in vaine neither must they measure the trueth of their state by their sense GOD is pleased often times to humble his children by suspending the sense of their state but he doeth not alter their state because his guifts are without Repentance and vpon their teares sighes and prayers wherewith GOD is pleased to be importuned he restoreth vnto them the sense of their state againe their eyes are opened to see that their obligation is cancelled and the booke crost wherein all their debtes were entred and that the blood of Christ hath cleansed them from all sinne You haue heard many things concerning Conscience all which though they bee of good regard yet they containe not all that which wee must heede For the worke of Conscience is rather Praeiudicium then Iudicium it is but a reall Prophecie informing vs how GOD will hereafter deale with vs. Therefore Saint Iohn carrieth our thoughts from our Hearts vnto God and will haue vs expect from GOD what wee finde in our owne Hearts And indeed our Heart is nothing else but GODS Apostle whose message is the Iudgement to come St. Ieromes Trumpet that sounded still in his eares Surgite mortui venite ad iudicium Besides our inward we haue an outward Iudge besides the present there is a future Iudgement And verily it is a wonder that any man should doubt of a future Iudgement that hath a Conscience seeing the vse of the Conscience is to forewarne vs of it the Iudgement in our bosome must bee vnto vs a Remembrancer of another Iudgement that is to come and wee must the rather be mooued with the former because of the reference it hath vnto the latter Reference nay Resemblance which is more for in the present Iudgement wee haue a liuely representation of the Iudgement to come GOD will deale with vs no otherwise then our Heart doâ—th the Iury at his Barre will exhibite no other presentment neither shall wee heare any other Sentence from that Iudge the Booke of GODS Prouidence will agree with the Booke of our Conscience and the Doome of our Conscience shall be ratified by GODS Doome And this representatiue qualitie that is in our Conscience must make vs the more to regard the absolute qualitie thereof For though it bee much to feele the force of Conscience without this Reference yet is it much more if the Reference bee included in our feeling thereof it will make vs more carefull to prepare our selues for GOD when wee are remembred so to doe by our owne Heart God then and our Heart agree in one worke their worke is like Like it is but not equall you may perceiue it in St. Iohns Inference that hee maketh according to the difference of the worke of Conscience One worke of the Conscience is to condemne thereupon St. Iohn maketh an Inference If our Heart condemne vs God is greater then our Heart and knoweth all things Wherein appeares a double inequalitie The first is of Authoritie Our Heart is great it is King in this little world of ours for it doeth season all that commeth from vs our workes are good or euill so farre as our Conscience is a partie to them they are good if she be good and if she be euill they are euill The inclination of the Heart is the inclination of the whole man so that no power of the soule or part of the body will hold backe if our Heart or Conscience doe set forward Our Heart then is great great within the Spheare of this little World But God is greater then our Heart who commandeth both ours and the great World GOD is said to be greater not so much in regard of his Eminencie aboue vs as his Soueraignetie ouer vs in which sense the Psalme saith that our God is a great God and a great King aboue all Gods And indeed Power belongeth onely vnto him Creatuâ—es are tearmed Powers rather Propter Ministerium then Dominium they can doe nothing beyond the influence they haue from GOD But GODS power is absolute and the Sentence hee pronounceth vnresistable whereas he can checke the sentence which our Heart pronounceth But to fit this point of Gods power to that which wee said before of the power of our Heart GODS power doeth season all the afflictions that come vpon vs and the apprehension that they come from him maketh them much more grieuous then they would be in themselues Secondly if GOD bee bent against vs no creature will stand for vs. You see wherein standeth the first inequalitie betweene GOD and our Heart The second Inequalitie standeth in Omnisciencie It is true that our Heart knoweth much 1 Corinth 2. and as the Apostle saith No man knoweth the things in man but the Spirit of man But that is as true which Salomon saith Prou. 20. The spirit of man is as the candle of the Lord searching the inward parts of man it is but a Candle and that is a dimme light a Candle of the Lord and that is a Ministeriall light Two wayes is our knowledge dimme through Ignâ—rance and Selfe-loue Ignorance is the cause that we cannot know our selues if wee would Selfe-loue is the cause that we will not know our selues so well as we can therefore Dauid prayed and wee must pray Ab occultis munda me domine O Lord cleanse me from my secret faults As for GOD his eyes are ten thousand times brighter then the Sunne Eccles 23. Dauid hath made a whole Psalme of
hoped for all are not so prouident as to let their Conscience preuent sinne Well howsoeuer wee neglect the first worke of Conscience wee cannot auoid the second if wee will not take notice of it it will take notice of Vs it taketh notice of all our doings whether they be good or bad proueth a comfortable or vncomfortable Iury vnto vs. Neither is this all Our selues are trusted not onely to giue in the verdict but also to take it whether it bee against vs or for vs. And as our Conscience will not spare to doome vs according to the Law if wee bee guiltie our selues shall pronounce what our sinnes deserue So will it not faile to assure vs of all the Blessings of the Gospel if it finde vs innocent and we shall rest assured of the trueth of our owne Iudgement And why GOD will second our Heart his worke will keepe correspondencie with ours whether it condemne or absolue Onely for the greater terrour of the wicked and comfort of the godly let vs not forget the inequalitie if wee sincke vnder our owne Iudgement we shall sincke more vnder GODS and if our owne doe yeeld boldnesse GODS will yeeld much more Wherefore redde te tibi forget not the preuenting worke of thy Conscience to bee ruled by it Bernard Meditat. neglect not the enquiring worke of thy Conscience to prognosticate of thy future state according to it Let euery one of vs endeauour with St. Paul to haue an vnoffensiue Conscience toward God and men that he may solace himselfe in that true peace thereof in this world and haue the consummation thereof with Aeternall Blisse in the world to come Amen Πάντοτε δόξα Θηῶ. FINIS A Meditation vpon Psalme 19. VERSE 14. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart bee acceptable in thy sight O Lord my strength and my Redeemer FAst and Pray Lord I doe fast and I would pray for to what end doe I with-hold sustenance from my body if it be not the more to cheere vp my Soule my hungrie my thirstie Soule But the Bread the Water of life both which I find no where but in thy word I partake not but by exercising my selfe therein This I begin to doe and faine would I doe it well but in vaine shall I attempt except thou doe blesse blesse me then O Lord blesse either part of me both are thine and I would withhold neither part from thee Not my body I would set my tongue on worke to speake of thee not my Soule I would exercise my heart in thinking on thee I would ioyne them in Deuotion whom thou hast ioyned in Creation Yea Lord as they haue conspired to sinne against thee so doe they now consort to doe their duetie to thee my tongue is ready my heart is ready I would thinke I would speake thinke vpon thee speake to thee But Lord what are my words What are my thoughts Thou knowest the thoughts of men that they are altogether vanitie and our words are but the blast of such thoughts both are vile It were well it were no worse both are wicked my heart a corrupt fountaine and my tongue an vncleane streame and shall I bring such a sacrifice to God The halt the lame the blind the sicke though otherwise the beasts be cleane yet are they sacrifices abominable to God how much more if we offer those beasts which are vncleane And yet Lord my sacrifice is no better faultring words wandring thoughts are neither of them presentable to thee how much lesse euill thoughts and idle words Yet such are mine the best of mine they are such I cannot denie it but grieue at it I should I doe that hauing nothing else to offer God hauing nothing that is required of him this that I haue should be such as he cannot like What remedie None for me if any it is in thee O Lord that I must find it and for it now doe I seeke vnto thee Thou onely O Lord canst hallow my tongue and hallow my heart that my tongue may speake and my heart thinke that which may be acceptable vnto thee yea that which may bee thy delight Doe not I lauish Were it not enough that God should beare with that hee should not punish the defects of my words of my thoughts May I presume that God shall accept of me Nay delight in me Forget I who the Lord is Of what Maiestie Of what felicitie Can it stand with his Maiestie to vouchsafe acceptance VVith his felicitie to take content in the words of a worme in the thoughts of a wretch And Lord I am too proud that vilifie my selfe so little and magnifie thee no more But see whether the desire of thy seruant doth carrie him how wishing to please I consider not how hard it is for dust and ashes to please God to doe that wherein God should take content But Lord here is my comfort that I may set God to giue content vnto God God is mine and I cannot want accesse vnto God if God may approach himselfe Let me be weake yet God is strong O Lord thou art my strength Let me bee a slaue to sinne God is a Sauâ—our O Lord thou art my Sauiour thou hast redeemed me from all that wofull state whereunto Adam cast me yea thou hast built me vpon a Rocke strong and sure that the gates of Hell might neuer preuaile against me These two things hast thou done for me O Lord and what may not hee presume of for whom thou hast done these things I feare not to come before thee I presume my Deuotion shall content thee bee thy eyes neuer such all-seeing eyes I will bee bold to present my inward my outward man before thee be thy eyes neuer so holy eyes I will not flie with Adam to hide my nakednesse from thee for I am able to keepe my ground seeing I am supported by my Lord I doubt not but to prooue a true Israelite and to preuaile with God For all my Woe for all my sinne I will not shrinke nay I will approach approach to thee for thou art my Redeemer The neerer I come to thee the freer shall I bee both from sinne and woe O blessed state of man who is so weake so strong so wretched and so happie weake in himselfe strong in God most happie in God though in himselfe a sinfull wretch And now my Soule thou wouldest be deuout thou mayst be what thou wouldest sacrifice to God thy words sacrifice to God thy thoughts make thy selfe an Holocaust doubt not but thou shalt be accepted thou shalt content euen the most glorious the most holy eyes of God Onely presume not of thy selfe presume on him build thy words build thy thoughts vpon thy Rocke they shall not be shaken free thy words free thy thoughts thoughts and words enthrauled to sinne by thy Sauiour and thy sacrifice shall be accepted So let me build on thee so let me be enlarged by thee in soule in
Therein what dost thou shew Lord but how powerfull thy grace is and what an alteration it can worke in me I acknowledge this and Lord let me feele that truth which I acknowledge make hast to moisten him that early seeketh to thee I should haue sought vnto thee in the morning of my age and happie had I beene if I had so timely sought vnto thee I had not so long continued in the wildernesse Yea the trees which now scarce blossome would then haue beene loaden with ripe fruit the seed which is now scarce in the blade would haue shot an eare and beene white for haruest But Lord I that neglected that morning to testifie my griefe therefore take holdfast of another morning as much as I can I redeeme the time the day hath dawned I suffer not the Sunne to shine in vaine so soone as I can see my way I take my way to thee I come earely I would speed betimes See Lord my desire in my haste and Lord let thy grace hasten like my desire yea preuent my desire who cannot desire so timely as I would Onely O Lord I take notice of my Day and would not haue it spent in vaine Turne my morning into high-noone let the Sunne of righteousnesse ascend vnto his greatest highth but proportion my desire to thy light and let mee so beginne betimes as that I perseuere vnto the ende let my later workes bee better then my first let my motions bee not violent which slacken as they goe on and are weakest in in the end but let them be naturall yea supernaturall motions let them increase as they goe on and the neerer my race draweth to an end the hotter let my zeale bee towards God Let me thirst the more let me the more desire those waters that moysten my drougth and refresh my wearinesse so let me appeare before thee But where art thou In thy Sanctuarie thy holy place How reuerent is that place And how vnfit am I to bee seene there Is that a place for a wildernesse Paradise is a better obiect of the eyes of God where God may see all that he hath made and see it good and blesse it being so but sinne hath no place in Paradise Gods eyes cannot endure it yea therefore were the Cherubins set with the flaming sword that sinners might not approach the place of God How senslesse then am I that being such as I am dare approach the place of God being such as it is True Lord I am senslesse indeed if I come onely as a drie as a thirstie land such an obiect is not for the holy eyes of God it is not to approach his presence But if the drie land bee also thirstie then thou callest Ho all yee that thirst come yee to the waters and he that hath no money buy and eat yea come buy wine and milke without money and without price If the barren land be wearie thou callest O Lord Come vnto mee all that labour and are heauie loaden I will ease you I will giue you rest Seeing this thirst this desire is acceptable vnto God euen where there wanteth the fatnesse and fruitfulnesse of good workes and God whose Throne is heauen and whose footestoole is the earth will looke to that man euen to him that is poore and of a contrite heart though I want righteousnesse yet because I hunger and thirst after it I am not afraid to be seene in the Sanctuarie of God yea in the Sanctuarie to looke vpon God For I know what he will shew vnto me euen his Power and Glorie hee will shew them both to me nay he will shew them both on me His power that shall worke on me and his glorie that shall crowne me He will make me as a water garden and plant me with most generous plants by his power that so I may flourish and bee comly in the eyes both of Angels and men Yea God will shew his power and God will giue me glorie that my eyes beholding them my mouth may speake of them speake of the workes of God and tell what he hath done for my bodie and for my soule O Lord other creatures partake thy Power partake thy Glorie but all doe not see it wee that are indued with reason not onely haue them but perceiue them and it is our happinesse that we know what blessings wee haue Lord let me neuer be so stupid as not to behold thy Mercies and when I doe behold them let mee also feele how blessed I am whom thou vouchsafest to possesse them so shall I more and more confesse that thou O Lord art my God and being my God I shall make haste to thee my Soule shall make haste and so shall my bodie also my drie and wearie bodie and soule shall goe out of this world wherein there are no springs of life and thirstie and longing as they are they shall approach thy Sanctuarie and there Lord let them see not onely feele thy Power thy Glorie quenching my thirst and satisfying my Desire Amen A Meditation vpon Psalme 90. VERSES 11 12. 11. Who knoweth the power of thine anger euen according to thy feare so is thy wrath 12. So teach vs to number our dayes that wee may applie our hearts vnto wisedome THE FIRST PART SInne and wrath by nature should go hand in hand and as deepe as we plunge our selues in to sin so deepe should we sinke in wrath Wee should if Iustice measured vnto vs as we deserue but mercie hath prouided better for vs and God is pleased to proportion the smart of stripes to the feare which we haue of them the lesse feare the more smart and the lesse smart the more we feare Thou hast left it O Lord in the power of a sinner how farre thou shalt take vengeance of his sinne Let the Law speake neuer so terribly let sinne offend neuer so grieuously let the curses be neuer so many let the plagues be neuer so manifold yea let thy countenance be ouer-cast with neuer so thicke a cloud let the burning coales that are kindled by thy wrath be neuer so scorching rore the waues of thy ouer-flowing indignation neuer so hideously and bee the whirle-wind of thy wrath neuer so tempestuous feare onely feare the feare of a penitent Soule that trembles at the voice of thy Law that melteth at the sight of thy Iudgements that accuseth it selfe that condemeth it selfe that is readie to ioyne with God to doe Iustice vpon its sinfull selfe this feare I say that least armeth it selfe against God is best armed and preuailes best by stooping most And this is powerfull weakenesse a conquering captiuitie a match ouer-matching that for which we can otherwise find no match This power O Lord hast thou giuen to repentant feare a blessed power and yet there are few that vse it though all doe stand in neede of it And why Who armes himselfe against that whereof he hath no regard Men sinne but little doe they thinke that
their sinnes offend God and if they offend they shall be punished because God is not onely sensible of his wrongs but also Iudge of our liues as he hath prescribed the precepts of his Law so hath hee added sanctions thereunto and as the precept sheweth what we must doe so what he will doe we learne out of the Sanction if we faile to obey thou O Lord wilt not faile to strike for there is Wrath with thee and from thee will that wrath breake out on vs. And woe be to vs if it breake out for thy wrath O God is a powerfull wrath And indeed how can it be otherwise if it be thine who art a God of power Can wee looke into thee and not apprehend Almightinesse in thee But our eyes are too weake to pierce so farre happily in that that comes from thee a naturall man may behold what power there is in thee Heauen and earth are the worke of thy hands nay they are the Host that attends thy Person if they are mightie thou much more for what they haue thou gauest them and in proofe thereof thou takest from them at thy pleasure As the Sunne did shine first at thy command so at thy command it hath lost his light it was from thee the fire receiued his burning qualitie and when thou forbaddest it it could not burne thou madest the waters flow thou spakest but the word and they were sollid like a wall Thou fixedst the Globe of the earth and it stood still and when thou didst vtter thy voice it quaked it trembled for very feare when thou sendest foorth thy spirit thou renewest the face of the earth and all things wither and returne to nothing if thou with-draw thy spirit How powerful then art thou O Lord at whose command is the power of euerie creature and fighteth for thee against thine enemies The Sunne can scorch them the fire consume them the aire poyson them the earth swallow them and how many spectacles haue we of such Iudgements But what speake I of these greater souldiers of thine and weapons of thy wrath How many beasts in the fields How many birds of the ayre How many fishes in the Sea haue vndertaken Gods cause against man and executed remarkable Iudgements vpon sinners But I doe not yet come home enough hee that readeth the plagues of Aegypt and considers what a destruction God wrought by frogs and flies and lice the least whereof wrested a submission from Pharaoh and his Kingdome and forced them to confesse their vnablenesse to resist can he choose but be amazed at the sight of Gods power when these creatures so farre in their owne nature vnder the power of man when he commands them to be his Executioners so farre ouermatch the stoutest of men But what looke I without vs for the sinnewes of Gods wrath What sinnewes may wee find euerie man within himselfe If God bee pleased to reward vs according to our deseruings he shall need no other we wil doe him this seruice our selues Our wits will not only faile vs but insnare vs our hearts will be so farre from eschewing that they will carrie vs headlong into all mischiefe our eyes will see fearefull visions our eares bee filled with dreadfull sounds our tongues will betray vs our feete miscarrie vs our hands offer uiolence vnto vs no power of our soule no part of our bodie wherewith we haue conceiued or acted sinne that will not lay on some deadly stroke vpon vs for sinne But of all the souldiers of God wherin we are most feelingly to behold the Power of his wrath there is none comparable to our owne Conscience which laieth on so heauie a burden and peirceth with so deadly a sting that there is no man whom it cannot crush with its waight and which will not runne mad if he throughly feele the smart thereof I will not draw a man down into hell where into notwithstanding wrath will tumble sinfull man I might there shew him vtter darknesse the priuation of that light which shineth in heauen vnquenchable fire in opposition to the Waters of life that streame in heauen the weeping and wailing insteed of the endlesse musicke that is aboue the murmuring gnashing of teeth insteed of the triumphant songs of blessed Soules finally the tormented and tormenting fiends insteed of the blessed Sainâ—s and Angels that are aboue And what are all these but euidences of the power of Gods wrath And is the power so large so palpable and yet vnknowne Can it be such and yet not discerned of man If he climbe into heauen God manifesteth it there and he finds it in earth if his thoughts fal thither neither can he descend into hell but there he shal meete it nay he must goe from himselfe or else God will force him to behold it Why then doth thy seruant Moses moue this question who knoweth it Is it not because men doe not heed it and so though they should yet take no notice of it And indeed Lord if any be ignorant his ignorance is inexcusable and yet some such beasts rather then men are there that are willing not to know what they are not willing to regard Or if men be not so grosse as thus to winke with their eyes that they may stupifie their hearts yet do their lusts dim their sight and they see so imperfectly that they they are but weakly affected with it Hence coÌ„meth it to passe that thy minatorie words and works stay so few from falling into sin and reclaime so few that are fallen there into they do not belieue that thou wilt strike vntill they feele thy stroakes are on them The Israelites would not as Moses had good proofe for fortie yeere and wee are no better then they though our triall hath beene much onger then theirs we haue no vsefull knowledge of the wrathfull power of God This question may well bee moued of vs euen of vs to whom God hath vouchsafed the same power ouer his wrath our little feare argueth our little knowledge and we may not thinke that we haue any true knowledge which doth not end in feare such a feare as can hold Gods hand or at least moderate his stroake is the onely argument that wee haue profited in that schoole of the great and lesser world wherein we haue so full so plaine a Lecture read vnto vs of the powerfull wrath of God A Meditation vpon Psalme 90. VERSE 12. So teach vs to number our dayes that we may applie our hearts vnto wisedome THE SECOND PART THou dost manifest thy power O Lord and we are the monuments of it our mortalitie is therein are grauen the capitall Letters that describe thy powerfull wrath For what is mortalitie but a reall voice in our eares or presenting rather vnto our eyes the doome of sinne Thou madest vs immortall and immortalitie was a part of thy Image which art eternall our time then had no terme it could not be defined by any kind of period But
sinne hath abridged what had no bounds it hath brought our life within a short compasse it is measured by dayes and dayes are aâ— the first so the least part of Time which thou hast made And these dayes are not infinite in vaine should a man desire to number that which cannot bee numbred Iacob said his dayes were few Dauid that his were but a span long Saint Iames that no mans life is more lasting then a bubble a man would thinke a litle Arithmeticke would cast vp so small an account a man seemes to need no better a master then a man for what man is he that is ignorant of this principle That man is mortall and that it cannot be long before he returne to dust And yet Moses that was learned in all the sciences of the Aegyptians amongst which Arithmeticke was one desireth to learn this point of Arithmetick onely of thee O Lord why Is it because as Iob speaketh thou hast determined the nuÌ„ber of his dayes Would Moses haue thee reueale to euerie man the moment of his end Such speculations may wel beseeme an Aegyptian an Israelite they doe not beseeme Thy children O Lord know that it is not for them so to know times and seasons which thou keepest in thine owne power and are a secret sealed vp with thee we should not prie into that counting house nor curiously inquire into that summe It is not then a Mathematicall numbring of daies that Moses would be schooled in but a morall he would haue God not simply to teach him to number but to number so and so points out a speciall manner a manner that may bee vsefull for the children of God And indeed our petitions must beare this mark of profitable desires and we should not aske ought of thee but that by which if we speed wee may become the better he that so studieth his mortalitie learnes it as he should and it is onely thou O Lord that takest him out such a lesson But what is the vse O Moses that thou wouldest haue man make of such a knowledge Euen to applie his heart vnto wisedome O happie knowledge by which a man becomes wise for wisedome is the beautie of a reasonable soule God conereated him therewith But sinne hath diuorced the soule and wisedome so that a sinfull man is indeed no better then a foole so the Scripture calleth him and well may it call him so seeing all his carriage is vaine and the vpshot of his endeauours but vexation of spirit But though sinne haue diuorced wisedome and the Soule yet are they not so seuered but they may be reunited and nothing is more powerfull in furthering this vnion then this feeling meditation that wee are mortall For who would not shake hands with the world that knows we must shortly appeare before God Yea who would not prouide for that life which hath no end that seeth that this hastneth so fast vnto an end Finally who would suffer the arrowes of Gods wrath that summon vs vnto Iudgement to passe vnregarded seeing the due regard thereof is able to turne a Tribunall into a Throne of grace Surely affliction if we discerne the hand that infflicts it is the best schoole of wisedome yea of the best sort of wisedome the wisedome of the heart it turneth knowledge into practise and maketh vs more tender hearted then we are quicke sighted it doth not onely discerne that God is a consuming fire but melts at the very sight of him it doth not onely know that Gods word is a hammer but feeleth the force thereof in a broken and contrite spirit it conceiue feares so soone as it heareth threats and is no sooner touched but it is reclaimed And this is Wisedome the true wisedome of a mortall man whose best helpe against mortalitie stands in the awful regard of Gods offended fauour Seeing then O Lord this is the fruit of that desired knowledge and hee is best seene in the length of his dayes that is most humbled with the sense of thy wrath and he needs least to feare death that doth as hee ought most feare thee vouchsafe to bee his master that desireth to bee thy scholler and let grace teach what nature doth not discerne that I moulder into dust because I corrupt my selfe with sinne so shall I bee wearie of my naturall folly that negotiates for death and affect true wisdome that is the Tree of life with this I shall endeauour to furnish not onely my head but my heart also and that which now is the seate of deaâ—h shall then become the receptacle of life that life which beginnes in thy feare which is the onely in-let of euerlasting ioy A Meditation vpon Lament 5. VERSE 21. Turne thou vs vnto thee O Lord and we shall bee turned renew our dayes as of old WEe are mutable and what wonder Seeing we are creatures we cannot know that we were made of nothing but wee must acknowledge that to nothing we may returne againe and indeed thither we hasten if we bee left vnto our selues For marre our selues we can but we cannot mend our selues wee can dedestroy what God hath built but we cannot repaire what we doe destroy Wretched power that is onely able to disinable vs and hath no strength but to enfeeble him whose strength it is I read of Adam the first monument of this vnhappie strength but I may read it in my selfe I as all his sonnes inherit as his nature so this selfe ruining power But when experience hath made me see how valiant I haue been against my selfe inflicting deadly wounds precipitating my person and misguiding my steps I become disconsolate and helplesse in my selfe what then shall I doe To whom then shall I seeke To the fiends of hell that sollicited me to sinne To the worldly vanities by which my lusts were baited Well may they adde to my fall raise mee againe they cannot they will not such euill trees beare no such good fruit and if they did they would rather haue me a companion in their sinne and in their woe then seeke to free mee from or ease me in either of them But happily the good Angels as they are more able so they are more willing to pittie to relieue mee but they behold thy face O Lord and stirre not but when thou sendest them and they only to whom thou sendest can be the better for them these heauenly spirits that attend thy Throne moue not but at thy becke and doe no more then thou commaundest I see then that if I stray it is thou that must fetch me home it is thou Lord that must lift me vp when I am slipt downe to the gates of death and my wounds will be incurable if thou bee not pleased to heale me Thou Lord hast made me know in what case I am and onely canst redresse my wofull case I seeke to thee and to thee onely To thy wisedome I commend my head illighten it shew me thy way thou that of nothing
of wrath Repentance should be vsed while we may sinne for then it will be fruitfull and medicinall because we leaue sinne before sinne leaueth vs but if we will then vse Repentance when we can sinne no more our Repentance will be vnfruitfull and only penall And indeed they which will not vse Repentance in this World fruitfully shall will they nill they repent in the World to come but it will be vnfruitfully they will not weepe here for their sinnes but in Hell they shall both weepe and gnash their teeth they will not here manicle and fetter their lusts but there they shall be bound both hands and feet they will not here purge their stubble and drosse with the fire of Gods Spirit therefore hereafter they shall burne and their drosse their chaffe shall be endlesse fuell of the flames of Hell O then let mee weepe let mee repent out of the loue and with the comfort of Iesus Christ that hereafter I be not driuen to repent out of feare and with the paine of the fire of Hell The conclusion of all is God by the sight of our euill moueth vs to a desire of our good when he preuenteth vs with his grace we must take care that we receiue not his grace in vaine and this shall we doe if we disparage not our heauenly Conuersion with an earthly Conuersation LOrd graft in thy Preachers such Charitie that they may aime wisely at their hearers good and increase in their hearers that desire of goodnesse and happinesse which may make them capable of wholsome counsell So shall the dew of Heauen worke fotnesse in the Earth and wee shall all grow in thy Church as trees loaden with abundance of fruit when wee sinne wee shall repent and we shall repent also that we may not sinne vntill the Haruest day come when thou shalt haue reaped all the fruits thou requirest of vs in this state of Grace and we shall begin to reape those fruits which thou hast premised vnto vs in the state of Glorie Amen The fourth Sermon LVKE 3. VERSE 8. And beginne not to say within your selues we haue Abraham to our father for I say vnto you that God is able of these stones to raise vp children vnto Abraham OF the remedy of their Heart which came to Saint Iohn Baptist I haue already spoken the next point is the remedy of their Heads which taketh vp the remainder of the Text. In applying this remedy the Baptist doth first open then correct their errour hee openeth it in their obiection and in his owne answere doth correct it their errour was this vaunt We haue Abraham to our Father this they obiected against the first part of Iohn Baptists Sermon But the words are ellipticall they include more then they expresse you may gather it out of the Baptists answere which is the rust measure of their obiection for what he correcteth in that they erred Now he correcteth in their obiection Ignorance and Arrogancie both double double Ignorance double Arrogancie double Ignorance for they first maine secondly misplace the truth They maime it in that not knowing how much was requisite to the making vp of a child of Abraham their words meant that they were wholly his whereas they were his but in part and that too the worst part Saint Iohn correcteth this he forbiddeth their claime say not we haue Abraham to our father you haue nothing in you worthy of so honorable a title As they did maime the truth through ignorance so did they also through ignorance misplace it they did misplace it in beginning their defence at this claime For although there bee comfort in being any wayes a child of Abraham yet the triall of our comfort must begin at our resemblance of not our allyance vnto Abraham therefore Saint Iohn that corrected their defect in matter correcteth also their defect in order Begin not to say let not this be the entrance to your Apologie Hauing thus corrected their Ignorance hee goeth on and correcteth their Arrogancie Arrogancie is the child of Ignorance of the good things which we thinke we haue the lesse we know the more we crake certainely the Iewes did they were doubly arrogant first they did appropriate Abrahams family vnto them selues As they thought them selues to bee wholy his so they thought none his but themselues onely they held all other Nations vile the Iewes onely to be noble And this first branch of Arrogancie sprang from the first branch of their Ignorance for indeed as they were children of Abraham so none were children but they Saint Iohn correcteth this Arrogancie and telleth them that there is no impediment in Gods power but Abraham may haue yea there is faire euidence in Gods Couenant that Abraham shall haue other children seeme they neuer so vnlikely to become children not onely besides them which is enough to take downe their pride but also which striketh them to the very heart insteed of them though they all faile this Saint â—ohn meaneth when he saith that God is able euen of these stones to raise vp children vnto Abraham The second branch of their Arrogancie is their scoffing at Gods Iudgements as if We haue Abraham to our father were armour of proofe against them and they needed no buckler but their pedigree This second Arrogancie springeth from their second Ignorance for where they begin their defence vpon that they stand and thinke their needeth no more prouision against the wrath to come so they put it off as if liued they neuer so inordinately it did nothing concerne them This Saint Iohn correcteth hee telleth them that they are not so in the Couenant but they may be cast out that they must haue some worth of their owne besides that of their fathers otherwise they must looke for and that shortly a totall a finall eradication Now is the Axe layed to the roote of the tree You see what particulars remaine vnhandled of these by Gods affistance and your Christian patience I will now touch at so many as the time will permit And first because no defect nor excesse and such are the Iewes Ignorance and Arrogance the on detracting from the other adding to the truth can bee knowne without the meane which is their measure in reference whereunto we iudge of them the truth of Abrahams fatherhood must first be opened and we must see what grace God vouchsafed him that thereby we may conceiue the vprightnesse of the Baptists censure I will not fall into the common place of Abrahams praise the large Texts which the Scripture doth yeeld thereof hath found most eloquent most aboundant commentaries there is scarse a Iew or Christian Greeke or Latine Father that doth not write of him and make a Panegyricke of his worth I will cull out of them so much as will illighten my text And the first thing that I obserue is that there were Patriarkes before him and Patriarkes that came after him yet none left behind them so honourable a name
Exod. 34. the fare Esay 22. both apparrell and fare in Ioel Ioel 2. Ionah 2. and in Ionas the couch is added to them Amos 6. We must then note that euery thing hath his appointed time Eccles 3. and it is not a sinne to be drowsie for nature requireth refreshing but to bee drowsie at an vnseasonable time when grace doth not ouerrule nature and the body is not made seruiceable to the soule willing to do her duety to God this is a sinnefull drowsinesse And such was the drowsinesse of the Apostles and it was extraordinarily in them for the Text doth amplifie their sinne by two circumstances first of the time then of the persons the time the space of one houre When God requireth that our bodies should attend our soules though he did require more time in that attendance than reason conceiueth can stand with the strength of nature we should not sticke at it because the same God that strengthened Moses in the Mount twice to fast forty dayes and forty nights and Elias not onely to fast but also to walke so many dayes without eyther sleepe or meate can support vs employed in his seruice so long as therein hee is pleased to employ vs. But if he limit the time within the strength of our fraile nature what excuse haue we if we faile in our duety the time required of the Apostles was but an houre and who doth not vpon all occasions of profit and pleasure put off his sleepe more than an houre The couetous man riseth early and goeth late to bed to increase his wealth the voluptuous man in gaming and rioting is well content to adde the night vnto the day and though it be a winter night the ambitious will be contented to trauaile in it rather than misse the preferment whereunto he doth aspire And doth not then the naturall man condemn the spirituall when the one watcheth so long and the other cannot watch so short a time But why seeke I so farre the Apostles are condemned by their very enemies Vt iugulent homines surgunt de nocte latrones Vt teipsum serues non expergisceris the high Priests sate vp all this night in consultation Iudas and their seruants were busie all night about the execution of their wicked designes the Apostles cannot watch no not an houre will not their enemies rise vp against them condemne their drowsinesse They will especially if this houre were the very first houre of the night which might best be spared for the farther the night goeth on the more weaknesse commeth on and lesse blameable is drowsinesse in the dead than in the beginning of the night now happily 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is an Hebraisme and is put for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 elsewhere so that it noteth not onely the space of an houre but also pointeth out which houre it was but howsoeuer wee vnderstand 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is out of all question that the Disciples drowsinesse ouertooke them the very first houre which addeth much to the aggrauating of their fault As the circumstance of time so also of persons makes to the amplification of the sinne as well the persons who are drowsie as his person in whose company they were so First of the drowsie persons they were the Apostles all the Apostles were drowsie but Christ singled out three Peter Iames and Iohn to accompany him vnto that place in the Garden in which himselfe chose to pray wherein Christ shewed that hee had more than an ordinary conceit of them and did expect more than ordinary seruice from them And well might it be so for hee had shewed them more fauour than the rest they onely were with him when hee was transfigured in the Mount and saw his glory As he shewed them most fauour so they were most forward to offer their seruice St. Peter Mat. 16.33 Though all the world be offended with thee yet will not I be offended Iames and Iohn Matth. 20.22 Wee 〈◊〉 drinke of the Cup whereof thou shalt drinke and bee baptized with the Baptisme wherewith thou shalt be baptised Had they been only Disciples they were bound to doe what their Master commanded but the more trust he reposed in them the lesse were they to faile him especially seeing they were so farre indebted for extraordinary fauour and had vowed their liues in his defence all these things are included in the drowsie persons necessary voluntary obligations but neither worke though there was so much reason why they should yet did not these Apostles Watch nothing is remarkeable in their persons that makes not their drowsinesse more inexcusable And if their sinne bee amplified by their owne persons how much more by the person of Christ it was a fault not to watch in danger a greater fault not to watch the space of one houre especially seeing they were Apostles such Apostles but what accesse is made to this sinne when they neglect to watch in the company of their Sauiour Had Christ sent them alone to the place then because of Vaesoli this fall had not been strange for it is not strange to see a man disheartened with danger and ouerwhelmed with woe but Christ went with them his presence was enough to keepe them in heart Though I walke saith Dauid in the middest of the valley of death I will feare no euill for thou art with mee O Lord thy rod and thy staffe shall comfort mee Psal 23. and this good Shepheard was now with the Apostles why then were their hearts heauie Nay he was not onely with them but he was watching and praying and was not his example a strong meanes to keep them from being drowsie As iron whetteth iron so doth the face of a friend quicken his friend Had he been onely a companion in the work their eyes should haue been on him they should haue blushed not to imitate him but hee was their Captaine their Master and what a shame for a Seruant to sleepe when his Master waketh and when his Master watcheth to shew himselfe drowsie And yet this commeth not home enough for this Companion yea this Captaine did watch did pray for them it was for them that he stood out he presented himselfe to God and prepared himselfe for the Crosse but he did both for them himselfe needed neither we wretched sinners needed both God layed our burthen vpon him our teares our sighes our groanes our stripes our death It is a generall rule of Piety that we should weepe with them that weepe how much more should we be affected with the like passion if any one bee distressed for vs It was a strange stupidity in Ionas when God pursued him with a tempest to get vnder hatches and there sleepe securely while the poore Mariners toyled out their bodies in rowing and brake their hearts in praying to their gods to free them from the tempest how much more stupid are these Apostles who lay them downe to rest
those few cornes of good seed which I deriued from them At least if their leprosie ouer-spred my whole man yet was it not so deepe rooted or so strongly setled as by my ill diet it hath since beene What then may this house of my body this garment that couereth my Soule expect but to be vsed as the leprous house the leprous garment which in a fretting leaprosie were the garment to bee burnt the house to be plucked downe And indeed as impossible is it for the Iuie that springs and ouer-spreads a wall to be killed without taking in sunder of all the stones and separating them from the morter which knitteth them together as for the natiue sinne wherein I was borne branching it selfe ouer euery part of my body and power of my soule to be purged except I be dissolued my Soule part from my bodie and the parts of my bodie loose that knot wherewith each is linked to the other I doe not then complaine of the Decree it is iust it is necessarie my sinne maketh it iust and that this sinne be dispossest it becomes necessarie necessarie for All and then for me I would yeeld vnto it I would be contented with it blessed Apostle the word of the Lord which thou hast spoken were good I would obey it I would yeeld to death though death be bitter were there not a heauier thing that followeth death more terrible then death it selfe Let me feele Gods hand so I come not into Gods presence into the presence of the Iudge to giue an accompt for my life Blessed Apostle is it not enough that my Soule can no longer enioy her bodie no longer by her bodie enioy those things wherein shee hath placed her soueraigne good that shee can no longer solace her selfe with her mate take comfort in her of-spring eate the fruit of her labours receiue honour from others bestow fauours at pleasure bee an Oracle vnto many and to as many be a terror Blessed Apostle is it not enough that these things faile and I must part with them No thou sayest no when thou hast lodged my bodie in the the Graue thou sufferest not my soule to rest thou callest her to a straight accompt thou tellest her of a Iudgement How vainely haue I beene abused by heathenish prouerbs that told me death ends all and yet all is not at an end When I come to death I must come before my Iudge I must answere the Law the Law must trie my life how well I haue obserued it how answerable my carriage hath beene to it And Lord what a fearefull thing is this When thou blessed Apostle didst reason of these things thou madest Foelix a great man a heathen man to tremble and a greater then Foelix the King of Niniuie did tremble also when hee heard Ionas And yet how little did they know thy Law How much did their ignorance excuse their transgression thereof And what then will become of me that know so much and haue so little to plead Can I chuse but tremble O Lord while I liue I often heare of thy Law and the accompt that must be giuen thereof but I neuer had so much grace as Foelix or the King of Niniuie no not when I read the storie of Foelix and the King of Niniuie Neither of them onely but of good King Iosias also whose heart did melt at the reading of thy Law when he saw how vnanswerable the liues of his people were thereto And what wonder that Iosias heart did melt when Moses himselfe did quake at the receiuing of the Law Surely these all felt the terror of the Iudgement they knew what it was to come before their Iudge And I the more in my life I was senslesse the more sensible shall I bee hereof in my death vnexpected euils afflict the more especially if they bee great their impression must needs be deepe But bee I affected neuer so wofully I must appeare I must be tried hee that gaue the Law will inquire into the obseruance of his Law While we liue many couer our faults which when wee are dead they will not sticke to amplifie and he that liuing goeth for a Saint after his death is traduced as a diuell A heauie Iudgement yet how many vndergoe it But this is their comfort that of this Iudgmēt they haue no sense how their name fareth in this world in death they know not But against the other Iudgement there is no shelter all the stormes of it must light vpon vs in our owne persons we must answere for our selues and we are not so well knowne to our selues as to him that sifteth vs. Yet so much we know that we shall trauerse no Indictment we shal plead guiltie to euery Bill our owne conscience is a true counterpart vnto Gods Booke we shall bee charged with nothing out of the one which we shall not read distinctly in the other To read it were enough for the vttermost confusion for what man knoweth and doth not abhorre himselfe Had we a true looking glasse wherein wee might behold the manifold enormous sinnes of our life neuer could any thing be more vgly neuer would any thing be more abominable neuer were we so much in loue with our selues when we acted sinne as wee shall detest our selues when we see the staines of sinne But detestation and confusion are but the first part of this Iudgement the worme the sting bitter tortures euen before we are sentenced for Hell make vs to be wofull wretches Adde hereunto that which is the hight of shame the depth of paine Were no body priuie to our sinnes but our selues the knowledge of them wil confound vs but when they become knowne to others if they be but men sinners like our selues and therefore more likely to be temperate in their censure the shame groweth double but how manifold then will it be when the Angels shall bee witnesses to it the holy Angels whose puritie will the more illustrate it Nay God himselfe whose Image wee should beare and to whom how vnlike we are his presence wil make most manifest So that our shame will bee out of measure shamefull Our paine will bee no lesse painefull For here in this world the remorse of sinne euen in those that haue not a seared conscience is many wayes delayed in sleepe by feasts with companie many other outward helps but especially the putting farre off the euill day and the weake information that our distracted vnderstanding giueth our Heart and the hardnesse that doth benumme the senses thereof all these more or lesse doe mitigate our paine But after death these lenitiues are withdrawen from vs our eyes will be kept waking our stomacke fasting our friends farre from vs our wits that were wise to doe euill and to doe good had no vnderstanding at all shall then be wise onely to know our euill but good of ours it shall haue none at all to know and our heart was neuer so waxie to be wrought
pleasurably with sinne as it shall bee feeling when it is affected with all kind of woe This is our condition after death and such is the Iudgement where at we must appeare euen the first Iudgement Demie-Atheists though they would not hold an absolute imortalitie of their Soule yet for a time till the day of Resurrection they dreamt their Soules should bee as senslesse as their bodies but it was but the diuels Sophistrie to comfort the wicked with a Soules sleepe from the houre of death vntill the generall Assises of the world as hee did with hope of a generall pardon after some yeares of torment which made Origen to thinke that at length the diuels themselues should be released from paine But blessed Apostle I belieue thee I wil not flatter my self I do not more certainly expect death then I doe looke instantly thereupon to come before my Iudge I know that there is a Iudgement before a Iudgement a priuate before the publike I belieue as truly that euen now Diues burneth in Hell as that Lazarus is in Abrahams bosome and I doe no more doubt that Iudas went to his owne place then that the good thiefe was that day with Christ in Paradise no sooner doth the soule leaue the body but God doth dispose it to rest and paine O euer liuing God vnpartiall Iudge both of quicke and dead thy decree is past vpon my life for my arraignment I am here but a soiournour and yet accomptable for what so euer I doe here Let not this decree be vnknowne passe vnregarded of me if health if prosperitie promise a longer terme a carelesse life let me trie their perswasion by thy infallible word For there shall I learne that heauen and earth shall passe the greater how much more this litle heauen and earth of mine and that thy word onely endureth for euer Yea I see that all things come to an end but thy Commandement is exceeding broad and it is this Commandement that thou hast laid vpon my bodie and laid vpon my Soule a heauie Commandement that sounds nothing but that which is vnsauorie to flesh and bloud Death vnsauorie but Iudgement much more skin for skin and all that euer a man hath hee will giue for his life but life it selfe who would not part with that he might bee free from Iudgement My soule and body are loth to part but much more loth to appeare before thee it is grieuous to forgoe that which I loue but to feele that which I feare is much more grieuous if I die I want what I would haue but if I come to Iudgement then I must indure that which I abhorre death ends the pleasure which I take in life but Iudgement reckoneth for the inordinatnesse thereof And it is a double griefe to be so stripped to bee so tried but what shall I doe Thy word must stand and seeing it must stand let me not doubt let me not neglect let those two be euer before mine eyes let me vse this world as if I vsed it not seeing the fashion therof doth passe away and I change faster then it The little world hast thou proposed as a glasse wherin we may behold what will become of the great world both appeare subiect vnto Vanitie thou hast subiected both the frame of both must be dissolued so deepely is sinne rooted in either that nothing can extirpate it but the dissolution of the whole But the case of the greater world is better then that of the little that is dissolued but this must be arraigned also arraigned for it selfe arraigned for the great world also If that haue any euill it hath it from man man infected it and it is dissolued because of man but man for himselfe his owne sinne maketh himselfe and others mortall also good reason that he which hath baned the world so ruined the frame of all Gods creatures should account for it vnto the owner therof If a subiect trespasse against the King or his Image the Law doth challenge him it calleth for an amends and can the King of heauen and earth be wronged in his creatures be wronged in his owne Image and not challenge the offender No Lord there is great reason as for man to die that hath made all things mortall so for man to bee iudged that hath done it by sinne no reason that other things should suffer and he scape nay great reason why the blame of all should bee laid vpon him He deseruedly must be exposed to shame and blush for whatsoeuer himselfe hath deformed and what hee hath made to groane hee must sigh for it The maske must be plucked off where vnder in this life wee hide our selues and our sense must be rectified wherewith in this world wee excuse our selues we that would not iudge our selues must be iudged of the Lord. And his iudgement shall bee without respect of persons This Iudge standeth at the doore his Assizes are proclaimed no sooner are we quickned but wee are informed of death and Iudgement no sooner come we out four mothers wombe but we witnes our knowledge thereof euerie day of ourlife is a Citation day But as it wanteth not a date so it prefixeth not a day euerie one must dye once but the time of his death no man knoweth euerie man must be iudged no man knoweth how soone This vncertainety maketh death and Iudgement more terrible And it should make vs more watchfull watchfull for that which we are sure will come but when it will come wee are vnsure when it commeth it is fearefull but it commeth suddainely Did it concerne my temporall state I would take great care if the good-man of the house knew when the theife would come he would surely watch and not suffer his house to bee surprised And care wee more for our goods then for our selues For that which may be repaired then for that which being past hath no recouerie So senslesse are we so vsually are we ouer-taken Let it not be so with me O Lord let me euer meditate vpon Death and let me euer be prouided for Iudgement Before Sicknesse prouide Physicke and Righteousnesse before Iudgement A Meditation vpon Philippians 1. VERSE 21. Christ is to me life and death is to mee aduantage I Haue beene at Mount Sinai I haue heard the thunder I haue seene the lightning I haue felt the shaking thereof it hath put mee in mind of my mortalitie at it I haue learned what it is to bee arraigned before my Iudge Were there no other Hill I were in wofull case woe is mee if I haue no succour against death which I cannot auoid against iudgement which is so strict But blessed be God I haue a succour though God bring mee to Sinai in my passage out of Egypt yet is it not his pleasure that I should stay there the Cloud is risen and goeth before me I will vp I will follow it And see it bringeth me to another Hill it resteth me vpon Mount Sion I no sooner