longest beautified who fasts oftenest Why doe I deny my selfe all manner of foode but to recover Paradise by fasting which Adam lost by eating Why doe I not touch so much as Bread or Water but that God may pardon my glutton and drunken sinnes why doe I abstaine from all meate but to prevent those sinnes which if my belly were full my flesh would lust after why doe I restraine my hungry stomacke from that Dish it would but that my Soule may obtaine that blessing it wants why doe I forbeare those dainties my throat desires but to avert those Judgements my Soule feares Ver. â— WheÌ„ thou dost thine Almes Ver. 5. WheÌ„ thou dost pray and in some measure feeles already And yet I doe not fast to merit any of these blessings at attâ—y hand oh God But I fast from worldly labour that my devotion may be quickned and without distraction and I fast from bodily foode because I am unworthy of the least of all thy mercies because I deserve the greatest of all thy judgments I have abused my selfe in the use of thy Creatures and I take this godly revenge upon my selfe for that abuse in the want of thy Creatures my soule knower not how to hunger for Heavenly Graces and to teach it my body shall hunger from earthly creatures my soule hath surfeted in times unlawfull and therefore my body fastâ— from meate that is lawfull My sences have beene gluttons in the dishes of pleasure and therefore my body shall bee her Physitian Ver. 16. WheÌ„ thou dost fast Ver. 33. Seeke first the Kingdome c. and prescribe her a more sparing dyet by example O God I fast because I have sinned and my sinnes are of those kindes of Divels that will not out but by fasting and prayer I have sinned against the mercy of a rather who hath provided for me I have sinned against the mightinesse of a Master who hath preserved mee from evill Nay I have sinned against the Majesty of God a God so righteous that he hath threatned my sinnes with curses upon curses and hath at last sent a Plague round about me and a God so gratious that though nothing else could keepe me from eternall damnation yet rather than I should be damned gave his sonne Iesus Christ to die â—or me a God that will upon these considerations and my rebellions are long send some grievous Affliction upon me Ver. 2. WheÌ„ thou dost thine Almes Ver. 5. WheÌ„ thou dost pray or deny me those blessings that I want unlesse I prevent the one and obtaine the other by repentance But can my heart bleede with sorrow can my heart melt with remorse can my heart dissolve it selfe into teares and repent without fasting Therefore I fast that I may remember my sins and confesse them therefore I fast that confessing my sins I may bewaile them therefore I Fast that bewailing my sins I may forsake them therefore I Fast that forsaking my sinnes thou maist forgive them forgiving them thou maist divert those judgments my sins cry for and send those blessings my sinnes kept from me Heare me oh my God I doe confesse I confesse all my sinnes my originall that I brought into the World and my actuall sinnes that I have brought up in the World but especially amongst them all that and that other and those which I committed yesterday Ver. 16. WheÌ„ thou doest fast Ver. 33. Seek first the Kingdome c. which I committed then then and there in thy presence with a great deale of delight I did commit them with pleasure and doe confesse them with sorrow For see oh my God I bewaile them I groane inwardly and cry outwardly and cry out upon my selfe What a foole was I What a Beast was Oh wretch that I am that I should ever be so unthankfull to God so unkinde to my selfe lesse I dare not doe than thus bewaile those sinnes in punishing my selfe I would I could doe more and I would more than Fast and bewaile them if forsaking bee more I vow never againe to meddle with them O God doe thou forgive them and 〈◊〉 possesse mee of these Divels by the vertue of thy promise made to my charitable Fasting Prayers that I may never againe bee troubled with them Ver. 2. WheÌ„ thou dost thine Almes Ver. 5. WheÌ„ thou dost pray and preserve me from the Plague I have â—eserved and thy other punishments which I feare blesse mee with obedience which I have robbed my selfe of and al other thy graces which I love No other end oh God have I in this Fast but to subdue my flesh and humble my selfe but to dechne thy punishments and enioy thy blessings unlesse happily it bee to seeke thy Kingdome Not that I thinke by the merit of this or any thing else that I have done or can doe to finde it but that by these meanes and in this way I shall the sooner and more easily finde it Indeed I finde it in these and so seeke it first because I doe these For though the kingdome of God consists not in meate and drinke in the belly full or emptie in fasting or not fasting yet it consists in righte ousnesse peace and joy in the holy Ghost Ver. 16. WheÌ„ thou doest fast Ver. 33. Seek first â—he â—ngdome c. And my charâ—â—e gets mee righteousnesse righteousnesse before man my prayers get mee peace peace with God my fasting gâ—â— me joy joy in the holy Ghost 〈◊〉 faith all and all these I have â—â—ne faithfully faithfully for the manner for I have done them secretly and sincerely no body knowes of them but my selfe and faithfully for the end for the glory of God for I care not to be seene of men I care not for the praise of men and faithfully in the foundation for I do believe these workes of mine are accepted and I know no workes are accepted but by Iesus Christ And faithfully I enjoy â—ll these Righteousnesse and Peace and Ioy for none of these are without Christ but in Christ all these are and in Christ I am righteous God hath justified me and being justified I have peace Ver. 2. WheÌ„ thou dost th nâ— Almes Ver. 5. WheÌ„ thou dost pray for being justified by faith we have peace with God through Iesus Christ our Lord. And the peace of God passeth all understanding and therefore must bring with it that joy which never entred into the heart of man to understand the joy of the holy Ghost Thus O God I have sought thy kingdome and thus I have found thy kingdome thus I desire to seek it continually and continually principally and these I desire to finde in it till I be taken from the seeking of thy kingdome in grace to the the seeing of thy kingdome in glory through Iesus Christ Amen Now followes the Sermon of Our thankfulnesse and Gods Mercy which was Preached in St. Pauls Church the three and twentieth of october 1636. Our
murther of Tatius And doe not we deale treacherously one with another Doe not we hunt every man his brother with a net Doe noâ— wee seeke to undermine and cirâ— coâ—veâ—t one another Is it then any wonder that the plague is amongst us God is hardly drawne to send this judgement but such sinnes as these will perswade him to send many more and many worse You see the Quare why the plague is sent Now upon the Quaâ—e you must give me leave to play â—he Lawyer and propose a crosse â—â—terogatorie by Quomodo How the â—lague may be sent away againe Applic. 1. It is â—â—y application of it And no way â—o remove it that I know Numb 16 46.47 but Aâ—â—ons way or Phinee's way or King Davids way When there died â—4700 of the plague Aaron takes censor puts fire therein from the Altar and put incense thereon and goes into the congregation and aâ—â—onement was made Sic vos so do you Take the censor of humble devotion put therein the fire of â—eale from the altar of the Crosse and put thereon the incense of Christs merits and offer it quickly for the congregation and Gods â—and is not shortened his eare is not stopped but as then so now he will be reconciled and accept of this for attonement and stay the plague onely you must stand as he did beewixt the living and the deadâ— your dead sinnes with sorrow and the living graces of God with desire and desire God with those teares That from plague and pestilence hee would deliver us for â—esuâ— Christ his sake Amen Or if it increase to Phinea's number and there dye 24000. why then you must doe as Phineas did and what did he Hee rose up from amongst the congregation and tooke â— Iaveling in his hand and thrust Zimri and Cozbi through the belly so the plague was stayed Sic voâ— so doe you you are Phineas Christ hath made you so to God his Father Kings and Priests Rise upâ— from the congregation for you are downe downe and asleepe in the sinnes of your companions But at last awake awake by repentance and arise Rise by faith and take a Javelin the Javelin of Reluctancie â—â—d Feare and smite Zimri the â—â—entation of sinne and Cozbi your â—onsent to and delectation in sinne â—â—d smite them through the belly â—â—at there may never againe bee a conjunction of your consent with â—â—e Divels tentation and intreate God and he will doe it say the â—â—ague through Iesus Christ Amen Or if yet the sicknes increase farâ—â—er as in King Davids time from â—â—an to Beersheba and slay 70000. â—â—en why then you must doe as King David did He spake unto the Lord when he saw the Angel smite â—â—e people and said Loe 2 Sam. 24.17 I have sinâ—ed and I have done wickedly but these sheepe what have they done let thine hand I pray thee bee against me and my fathers house Sic vos so must you If any of you are more conscious than others and which of you is not why then you must or if you are loath to bewray yoâ—â— selves why then I will I will speâ—â— unto the Lord for I have seene tâ—â— Angel smiting and I will say Whâ—â— have the people of this parish 〈◊〉 this Citie done O God it is I thâ—â— have sinned it is I that have doâ—â— wickedly they alas knew not hoâ—â— to contrive these sinnes that I have committed so that thou wilt spaâ—â— them let thy hand be against me and my house for I am the greatest sinne amongst them all and yet but of thâ—â— extent I trust whom Iâ—SUS CHRISâ— will save and if thou wilt save me and them from the plague and heâ—â— then we will goe up and reare thee aâ—â— Altar and offer burnt offerings anâ— peace offerings unto thee From ouâ— sinnes wee goe up and the altar of hoâ—â—ly protestations wee reare and swearâ— unto thee to meddle no more with sinâ— which hath brought this plague anâ—â— will for ever offer unto thee the burnt offerings of broken and contrite spirits and the peace offerings of Turtle repentance and Dove charitie and 〈◊〉 leavened sinceritie upon the altar â—f faith in the crosse of Iesus Christ for whose sake heare us and helpe us â—nd have mercy upon us and bid the Angel that destroyeth thy people to â—old his hand that wee may live and â—raise thee in the great congregation â—â—ilitant till wee come to thy congregation triumphant to sing eternall Hallelâ—jahs to him that sits upon the â—hrone and to the Lambe at his right â—and for ever Amen If any of you think the removing of the plague is not worth so much â—aines I entreat you to goe along with me and be resolved upon my second Quaere the Quid 2ª 1 ae â—â—uid what is the plague what the plague is And what is the plague thinke you To know what it is you must not looke upon it under the genus of sicknesse for then it is but Humores male dispositi an ill diâ—position of the body so Secundum definitionem it is defined so sickneâ— is or it is a want a defect a privation of health It is not a thing iâ— nature but it is a thing against nature a violation of nature for therefore is sicknes called Disease 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because it is sine sanitate without health So secundum â—em or it is Macula a spot quia corporis formain deformat because it disfigures the beautie of the body iâ— makes him mauc and meagre palâ— and wan and it is Debitum a debt quia ad mortem obligat because iâ— bindes us over to death and arrests us at his suite So it is secundum nomen it is named so sicknesse is Nay sometimes it is a double debt a debt to nature and a debt to physicke if we dye then natures debt is paid if we recover yet wee are still in debt to the physitian so farre sometimes that we spend the â—â—st farthing of our substance So it 〈◊〉 as said of the woman in the Gosâ—ell she consumed her whole estate â—â—on the Physitians or it is a percusâ—on and desolation either a smiting 〈◊〉 a desolation so the Prophet â—â—yes I will make thee sick in smiting â—â—ee in making thee desolate Mica 6.13 And I â—â—ink the Prophet there meanes the â—lague for the plague is a smiting â—â—cknesse and the plague is a desolating sicknes It is a smiting therefore called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the fiercenesse â—f it it leaves a scarre behind it and 〈◊〉 is a desolating sicknes is therefore called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because it spreds and diffuses it selfe into many if not into all people so secundum divisioâ—em it is distinguished so sicknes is and this distinction complies most with the plague such a thing is the plague such a fearfull thing is the plague and I pray God deliver us all from it You will see the Feare of it moâ—â— perspicuously and be afraid of
And when his subtelty was found out by Nathan hee smoothes it 2 Sam. 12.13.30.31 and sayes plainly and sorrowfully Peccavi I have sinned Et transtulit Dominus And the Lord tooke away his sinne Sic vos so doe you If any of you while your tongue hath been besieging Hell by prayers as Ioab Rabbah by weapons and in the meane time your heart hath committed adulterie by roaving and wandring imaginations upon your gold at home your businesse abroad or your neighbour in the Church either by lust or talke as David with Bathsheba and you have sent for your eye the husband of your heart to cover this wickednesse by lifting up the white of it to Heaven why then dispatch it pull it out and now that Nathan your Minister hath told you on 't be sorry for it and confesse it and say I have sinned that God may forgive your sins that your tongue may conquer Hell that the Crown of the King thereof Lucifer that Crowne which hee ware when hee was in Heaven may bee put upon your head and all his people his tentations and sinnes and plagues may goe under the Harrowes and Axes and Sawes of your repentance and so shall the plague bee stayed and you saved 3. Dan. 4.30.31.32.37 King Nebuchadnezzar met with a loftie and proud peece of Timber Is not this great Babel that I have built for the house of the kingdome by the might of my power and for the honour of my majestie And by and by his kingdome was taken from him and hee was driven from men to eate grasse as Oxen and his body was wet with the dew of heaven till his haires were growne like Eagles feathers and his nailes like birds clawes and he confessed that Gods workes are truth and those that walke in pride he is able to debase Sic vos so doe you If any of you rich Citizens that came hither with a staffe like Iacob over Iordan and are now become great and have built you faire houses Citie houses for profite and Countrey houses for pleasure yet walke not in the pride of your heart say not you have got this by the policie of your brain or the strength of your hand or if you have said so as too many of you have sayd so why then goe eate grasse with the Oxen feed hardly wet your body with the dew of heaven with thowres of neâ—venly grace with teares of true repentance let your haires grow like Eagles like Estridge feathers to break off the Iron chaines oâ— your sinnes and your nailes like birds clawes to picke out the eyes of these proud tentations Breake off your sinnes by righteousnesse and your iniquitie by shewing mercie to the poore that there may bee an healing of your errour and a lengthning of your dayes and a staying of the plague through Iesus Christ Amen 4. Israel met with a rotten peece of Timber coverings of graven Images and ornaments of molten Images and shee cast them away as a menstruous cloath Sic vos so do you Isai 30.22.23.26 If you have pâ—â— your crust in the graven Images of silver or mâ—lâ—ea Images or gold If you have worshipped your wealth before you have your God if you have taken more delight and paines in getting this trash then the favour of God why then throw away these be angry with these selfe-confidences that God may send you seasonable weather and give you bread and binde up the breach of the people and heale the stroake of your wound Fiftly and lastly Saint Peter met with a foule piece of Timber a Damosell meets him and charges him to be Christs servant and hee denies him Another charges him and hee denies him againe and so the third time Then Iesus lookes backe the Cocke crowes and hee goes out and weeps bitterly Sic vos so doe you If when you have met with a Maide with a Woman you have denyed Christ and defiled your selfe his members If a second time you have polluted his Temple and lay with your neighbours wife if a third time you have defacced his Image and denyed him and belyed him by selling his Wares at high rates and put them off by Oaths and lyes Why see Iesus lookes backe lookes backe with pitty and anger both The Cocke crowes his Ministers call to you doe you goe out and turne from such wicked company and weepe bitterly that your Faith may not saile that your bodies may not dye that your Soules may not be damned that you may live to praise God here joyfully and in Heaven eternally For by turning here God meanes a motion opposite to going on you are in a way of sinne that hath made away for the plague if you goe on you goe a wrong way still and still the plague continues If you would have the plague away why then turne from that way turne from it with indignation and hate your sinnes as the Israelites did turne from it by contrition as Nebuchadnezzar did and be sorry for your sinnes Turne from it by confession as King David did and acknowledge your sinnes Turne from it by Resolution as Nehemiah did and divorce your sins Turne from it by compunction as St. Peter did and weepe for your sinnes send up St. Peters teares to Heaven that God may send some showers from Heaven send up King Davids groanes to Heaven that God may send health upon the Earth Turne you from that God may turne you to They that will not turne shall be turned The wicked shall be turned into Hell and all the people that forget God If you would have a turne to Heaven when you goe from hence Then while you are here turne from your wicked wayes That 's the A quo and my third consideration 3 a 3 ae 2 ae FroÌ„ what wee must turne From what must wee turne From our wicked wayes And And here by the way I looke upon the Metaphor Wayes and by wayes here is meant Manners Courses Conversations 1. FroÌ„ our wicked wayes and the meaning is Turn from your wicked manners your wicked courses your wicked conversations And againe by Way is meant not onely a course but a setled course not a starting or a fit but a constancie Good men may start aside as David into an adulterie Peter into a denyall but Non est via eorum It is not their way This and so the wicked may sometimes try the right way Cain may stumble upon a sacrifice and Saul upon an offering and Caiaphas upon a prophesie but it is not via eorum they quickly take their former roade againe and so the whole meaning is You that are good turn you from your wicked startings you that are bad turn you from your wicked courses 2. From al our wicked waies from all your wicked wayes For not a sin but must be repented of Israel was guilty of other sinnes yet Israel could not get the victory till Achans sinne was done away Other sinnes there were but
a King and no subiect I am more foolish than a man and have not the understanding of a man in me and God made him wiser than his enemies Who did ever bragge to God even within the compasse of his desert and was accepted we may be too lowly in our dealings with men with God we cannot the lower we fall the higher he raises us so it was with Naomi ô call mee no more Naomi quoth she but Marah no more Beauty but Bitternesse and God made her the Grandmother of David But now how many be there that set faces upon want and in the bitternesse of their condition affect the name of Beauty Are there not too many in this age that care more to seeme than to be good But a good Christian hates this Hypocrisie and those whom God hath humbled and those who humble themselves before God care not to be respected of men Good men thinke it not dainty if the world thinke them filthy but are commonly the first proclaimers of their owne unworthinesse the Pharisie coms with Gratias in his mouth Luk. 18 11.1â— I thank thee oh God that I am not as other men are but the Publican thinkes not himselfe worthy to lift up his eyes to Heaven such a voluntary dejectednesse shall you ever finde in the humble they humble themselves though not humbled by God but if humbled by God then much more humble whereas the wicked though humbled by God yet will not be humble such were Pharaoh Herod and Iulian Exod. 5.2 and such I feare there are many now Who is God that I should let the people goe sayes Pharaoh What is the Plague these foolish preachers speake of say some wicked men now that I should forsake my sinnes vicisti Galilee saies Iulian in scorne and contempt to Christ Thou hast overcome me thou Carpenters sonne of Galilee but for all that I will not â—â—oope to thee and so doth many a sonne of Belial say now There is a Plague amongst us and destroies many but for all that I will not yeeld yet And for all this I trust there are some Godfrees too who in the top of his honour refused to bee crowned with a Crowne of Gold at Ierusalem because Christ was there crowned with a Crown of thornes some Aurelius's of whom St. Cyprian writes Ep. 3 4. In quantum gloria sublimis in tantum verecundia humilis at duÌ„ nihil in honore sublimius nihil in humilitate submissius as humble as the lowest in their places of highest honours Some St. Austens Li. 13. cum Falci Manich who acknowledged himselfe the least when indeed hee was the best Bishop of his time Some Davids that are humbled in their owne heart now they are humbled under Gods hands by the Plague And I pray God make us all so humble that he may take off this heavy hand to seeke him early now hee slayes us to confesse our selves worthily punished for our former sinnes that we may be partakers of his future mercies Health and Happinesse Health here and Happinesse hereafter a continued preservation from the plague and eternall deliverance from hell through Iesus Christ Amen But I must intreate you to testifie your humilitie not onely by your tongue but also by your backe either like Iob Ioh. 42.6 I abhorre my selfe in dust and ashes or like the Ninivites Let Man and Beast put on sack-cloth Iona. 3.8 Some there bee that say Humilities cloathes and say truely that Humilitie confists not in the out-side but the in-side and Beggars may bee as proud with ragges as Gentlemen with robes Nor are the rich denyed or dissallowed by any wise man such vestiments as are fit for their callings and their estate and substance will beare And yet for all this in times of mourning it wants not proofe that the Back should testifie the humilitie of the Heart so well as the tongue So when the approach of Holofernes was feared Iudith 4.9.10 every one cryed to God with great fervencie and their soules were greatly afflicted and they and their wives and children and their cattell and every stranger and hireling and their bought servants put on sack-cloth upon their loynes So Achaeb when he heard of evill upon himselfe and his posteritie 1 Reg. 21.27 Hee rent his cloathes and put sack-cloth upon his flesh Never did grey heart delight in gay cloathes humility is as well content with base freeze as the proudest gallant with his Silke and Tissue But I forbeare to speak of the attire of Humilitie for I believe if I should spend a whole Sermon as the Prophet Isaiah spent almost a whole Chapter and tell the proud Dames of England That the Lord will make them bald Isa 3.17 and take away the ornament of the slippers and the Cawle and the round tyres of the head and the head bands and the rest there named I should bee answered That this as the fashion of the time or it may be laughed at for a foole I am content but not satisfied for it is verily imagined that the raritie and superfluitie of such strange dresses are abhomination unto God as if we might follow the times yet in a time of mourning such as the plague is a modest dresse fits with an humble heart Howsoever I shall turn the Prophets reproofe into a wish vers 24. That God in stead of sweet savour may not give you a stinke and in stead of a Girdle a Rent and in stead of dressing the haire baldnesse and in stead of a Stomacher a girding of Sackcloth and burning in stead of beauty Surely when God clothes our bodies as hee did Iobs with Byles and Plague-sores wee should then testifie our humilitie even in our cloathes Howsoever our cloathes be without I pray God our cloathes within bee black and white Blacke with Sorrow and white with Puritie that hee seeing our repentance for our sinnes may also repent of this plague and cloath us with those white raiments which they weare that follow the Lambe whithersoever he goeth Amen And so from the Dresse I passe to the Dyet of Humility which is alwayes spare and thin either like that of Daniel Water and pulse Dan. 1.12 or that of David when hee â—ourned for his childe Hee would not eate 2 Sam. 12.17 A Doctrine it is This That Papists ascribe too much to the Schismaticke too little to They make it an immediate matter of Religion These no matter of Religion at all They superstitiously observe it These scrupulously decline it Such an act of Religion it is not as wherein principally wee worship God Rom. 14. â—â— For the kingdome of God consists not in meate and drinke sayes Mr. Paul Et qui Deum per ventrem colit propè est us Deum ventrem haheat sayes Tertullian Hee that worships God by his belly is not farre from making his belly his God And yet for all that it is a religious worke else why
Rabbah could not bee taken till King David turned from his wicked way of adulterie Other sinnes there were but the plague would not be staied till King David turned from his wicked way of selfe-confidence Many other sinnes there are now for which this plague is amongst us but there are some wayes we walke in some continued sinnes either inwardly or outwardly Drunkennesses outwardly Hypocrisies inwardly Adulteries outwardly Concupiscences inwardly Pride outwardly Ambition inwardly Vsurie outwardly and Avarice inwardly And answerably we must turne Turne outwardly from our outward wicked wayes and turne inwardly from our inward wicked wayes Outwardly we must be sober continent humble and liberall and inwardly we must bee sincere chaste humble and content And this wee must especially doe especially turne inwardly for if we doe turne inwardly we do turne outwardly Whereas many men turne outwardly that doe not turne inwardly We may bee civill yet hypocrites we may bee chaste for the outward man and yet adulterous within wee may bee humble outwardly as Achab was and yet ambitious in our hearts as Absolom was wee may bee prodigall in the outward acts of charity and yet covetous within in our desires And what say the Schooles of this Our actions are so farre vertuous or vitious as the will hath a hand in them Vera bonitas malitia sunt tantum in corde True goodnes true wickednes is onely in the heart And God oftentimes takes not off his heavie hand because we turne not from our wicked wayes with all our hearts Non facta numerat sed corda Hee lookes not upon our hands but upon our hearts Animae amaritudo est anima poenitentiae The turning with our heart is the heart of turning the repentance of the soule is the soule of repentance And because this is all in all I shall shew you in a word for all whether you doe turne from your wicked wayes with your hearts There are two speciall rules to know it by The first is Si in the second is Si post 1. Si in if in the act of our turning we resolve never to have any more to do with sinne if we throw our sins away Hosea 14.8 as repenting Ephraim did What have I any more to doe with Idols Fie Get you hence Give me leave to aske some of you Why doe you Vsurers call in for your money now Because you will have no more to doe with usurie or for feare you should loose your money in this sicknesse and that when the sicknesse is past you may have money to put out to use againe It is a turning this But such a turning that for all this the plague may turn you into the earth and these Reservations into Hell I could aske the Drunkard the same question Why does hee lay aside his pots now Because he will never bee drunke againe or because he feares by such quaffing hee may inflame his blood and get the infefection and that at the fall he may have his health and fall to his Healths againe It is a turning this but c. If you would have the plague turne from your heart turne you from your sinnes with all your hearts with the resolutions and protestations of your hearts That you will never have any more to doe with sinne That is the first note 2 The second Tertul. Si post sequatur emendatio vitae If after this resolution there followes amendment and a better life Poenitentia sine emendatione vitae vana quia caret fructu cui Deus eam servit In vain is that repentance which is not followed with a better life because it beares not that fruit for which God planted it that is the fruits of Righteousnesse If thou finde thy selfe after the plague as bad as thou wast before the plague in the plague thou hast repented but so that for all that God will follow thee with another plague or send thee into hell for it The plague never kills till it hath poysoned the heart nor is the plague ever killed til the heart hath poysoned it with Repentance From Plague and Hell good Lord deliver us all And that wee may all be delivered thence God give us grace to turne from all our wicked wayes with all our hearts and assure us thereof in our holy resolutions presently and in our holy conversations futurely that presently wee may obtaine health and futurely salvation through Jesus Christ Amen But being turned from our wicked wayes to whom 4 a 3 ae 2ae Turne to what or to what must we turne Why we must not turn as too many wicked men in this world doe turne from one sinne to another not from prodigality to covetousnesse This is to turne from one Divell to another not from the extortion of pawne taking to the oppression of usurie This is to turn out one Divell by another and for such a turning we may feare That God will turne the plague of Pestilence into the plague of Famine and that is worse and turne out the plague of Famine by the plague of Warre and that is worst of all If you would have God turne away all these sore plagues and leave a blessing behinde then you must turne to him Ioel 2.12 Turne to the Lord your God sayes the Prophet Wee need not goe so farre for the example Looke but in the former chapter upon the petition and there it is in the 38. verse 2 Chron. 6.38 If they returne to thee with all their heart And indeed to whom else should we turne Hee is the Lord and so onely can He is our God and so surely will With the Lord is power with our God is mercie By the power of the Lord hee did create us and doth preserve us and therefore sayes the Psalmist Psa 100.3 It is hee that hath made us and not we our selves and therefore saith the Psalmist againe Psa 124.2 If the Lord himselfe had not been on our side now may Israel say c. And may not wee say so now If the Lord himselfe had not been on our side when the plague destroyes a thousand on our side and ten thousand on our right hand but that it should light upon us too No hand can keepe it from us but the hand of the Lord. And by the mercie of our God hee did redeeme us doth forgive us and will save us He redeemed Israel he will save his people sayes the Psalmist Luk. 1.71 He hath redeemed us from our enemies and from the hands of all that hate us sayes Zacharie and sayes hee here I will forgive their sinne It is my fist and last consideration of this part 5ª 3 ae 2ae what good by Turning Quid efficit what good does this turning from our wicked wayes to God doe Why it obtaines forgivenesse and here I shall shew you God willing first that God onely can forgive sinnes Secondly that God certainly doth forgive all sinnes First God onely can forgive
medio jumentorum natu when he was borne in the middest of cattell In medio Doctorum anno duodeâ—â—mo when he was twelve yeares old in the middest of Doctors In medio discipulorum doctrina when he was preaching in the middest of his disciples And now where is he now but in medio nostrûm in the middest of us Matth. 18.20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name there am I in the middest of them So then that you may finde doe you seeke the face of God in the Church in the Scriptures but seek him there in the middle part of your selves too your hearts That is the Modus 3 a 1 ae 4 ae 2 ae Seek God How the manner how we must seek the Face of God and the last consideration of the first part I am to speak of Si quaeritis Isa 21.12 quaerite saith the Prophet If you will enquire enquire If you will seeke seeke Seek not loosly slightly slenderly but if you will seeke to finde seeke him with all your heart so holy Bonaventure distinguishes these words Petite quaerite In Luke 11.9 pulsate Aske seeke knock Distinguish these woâ—â—s sayes hee as they are meanes to come to glorie Then you must aske by prayer seek by living well and knock by perseverance and holding out but the sincerity of our heart is the greatest matter in living well Or distinguish them as meanes to come to wisedome and so St. Austen does distinguish them saying Ad sapientiam non venitur nisi quemadmodum Dominus docet We cannot attaine to wisedome but by that way the Lord Iesus hath directed us viz. by asking seeking knocking that is by praying reading and repenting but wee doe not onely reade with our eyes no' but with our hearts too if wee will understand what we reade or else by believing hoping and working but hope is placed in the heart if hope were not there the heart would breake Or distinguish them Ex parte petiti in respect of the thing sought so it is petite veniaÌ„ Quaerite gratiaÌ„ pulsate ad gloriam Aske forgiuenesse seeke for grace knocke to enter into glorie But grace is no grace unlesse it bee as sought with the heart so put into the heart In a word so he concludes it To aske is the labour of the mouth to knocke is the labour of the hand and to seek that is the labour of the heart So that there is no hope to see the Face of God if wee seeke it not with our hearts And so I conclude this part too by contracting all that I have sayd into these three conclusions 1. Seeke him by the light of his Word all other lights are but false and like so many ignes fatui as you walk up and down to seek God let his word bee a Lanthorne to your steppes 2. Seeke him by the conformity of your life Oculus enim cordis perturbatus sayes S. Austen avertit se a luce justitiae for if your life be bad you dare not looke upon the Sunne of Righteousnesse By living ill you may bee seen of God but shall never see God whereas by a well ordered life you shall both see and be seen of God see him with comfort and be seene of him with delight 3. Seeke him by a heart established in grace Oculus circumactus non videt etiam quae ante se sunt sayes the same Father a rolling or a squint eye cannot see the things that are iust before it Nor the heart that is in and out in grace to day and out of grace to morrow to day in a state of Repentance and to morrow in a state of Sinne can ever seeke to see the Face of God Look therefore for God in the Word of God seeke God by conforming your lives to that Word and see God you shall if you hold out accordingly to the end But 3 a 4 ae 2 ae What good by seeking Cui bono what good oâ— all this Why all this paines Why seeke the Face of God Why now Why early Why alwayes Why at Church Why with all ouâ— hearts Why doe you askeâ— why it heales our land It is the last parâ— of this Text and high time I had made an end of it I onely proveâ— it for the explication and for the application I pray God wee may finde the truth of it Looke upon Iacob Gen. 32.30 Vidi Dâ— minum à facie ad faciem salva facta est anima mea I have seene God face to face and my iiâ—e is preserved He sought the face of God and God healed his life Looke upon Moses Exo. 4.12 hee sought and saw the face of God and his tongue that stammered and was slow before was healed Looke upon Gideon Iudg. 6.16 he saw the face of God and his hand that was weake before was healed and strengthened to save Israel Looke upon the Leper Mat. 8.3 hee saw the face of God to wit Iesus Christ and was made whole Looke upon the Hemorisse Mat. 9.20 she sought the face of God and touched the hemme of his garment and was healed Now I pray GOD give us grace so to seeke his face in the face of his love in the love of his countenance in the countenance of his well-beloved Sonne IESUS CHRIST that our land may be healed this plague stayed our bodies preserved and our soules saved and all this and all things else for JESUS CHRIST his sake To whom with the holy Ghost three persons one God be ascribed all honor and glory now and for ever Amen Meditations upon the Plague What is the Plague whence is the Plague why is the Plague three good questions to propose they want three good Answers well proposed and well answered They make a fit Meditation for the time the Plague is the subject of the Time the Time seekes the Cause of the Plague the Cause desires the End for which the Plague is sent First then what is the Plague THis Quid hath many an Id and Hoc it is this What is the plague or it is that If I looke upon it under the Genus of Sicknesse why then it is an ill disposition of the body 1. Mala dispositio so Secundum Definitionem It is defined so Sicknesse is or it is a want a defect a privation a privation of health 2. Privatio It is not a thing in Nature but a thing against Nature a violation of Nature for therefore is Sicknesse called Disease 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because it is Sine Sanitate Without Health So Secundum Rem it is thinged so Sicknesse is 3. Macula Oâ— it is Macula a spot Quia corporis for mam deformat because it disfigures the beauty of the body 4 Debitum And it is Debitum â— Debt Quia ad mortem obligat Because it binds us over to death It arrests us at Deaths Suite so it is Secundum nomen
sincerity or my sincerest thankfulnesse can finde no acceptation I may finde thee elsewhere but especially there my praises may finde acceptation in other places there they shall bee sure of it The high Priest once in the yeare could be found no where but in the Sanctum Sanctorum Thou art my high Priest O sweet Iesus and there I desire to finde thee 2. Not onely in the Quire but also in the body of the Church in the Quire as the Mercy-seate in the Sanctum Sanctorum and in the body of the Church as the Incense-Altar in the middle of the Sanctuary This I finde was sprinkled once every yeere with the blood of the Sacrifice by the High Priest Exo. 30.10 so let me find thee purifying my prayers and my praises with thy Blood else my prayers will be unavaileable before God else my praises will bee unacceptable with God That they may be both availeable and acceptable I offer them in the merits of â—he sweet Incense-Altar Iesus So let me finde thee in my Oblations so let me finde thee in thy Directions so in my service to thee and so in thy Sermon to me And what is the first part of thy Sermon what but this The Sermon Ecce sanus es factus Behold thou art made whole But what needs this Can I forget this Can I ever hold from beholding this When I looke not upon this Ecce and behold it not I am worthy to be and to be called Coece and behold nothing And yet my memory is very brittle very brittle this way An injury I can remember a long time an 〈◊〉 turne or an ill word from my Neighbour from mine enemy Manet alta mente repostum I cannot easily remove it such a thing as this is soundly settled But Benefits how quickly alas doe I forget them Hose 4.6 Psal 106.21 Ps 78.42 The Israelites forgat the Law of God Nay they forgat God that gave them that Law They forgat God their Saviour and the day when he delivered them And my Soule leaks as much as theirs His Day notwithstanding his Memento I forget even that Day which hee commanded to be sanctified whether the seventh or the eighth day or one in seven I prophane them all That day wherein he made me whole from the horrour of Hell by the Resurrection of my Saviour and that Day wherein hee made me whole from my Sicknesse by the restauration of my selfe to my former health And therefore I blesse thy Name for this Ecce and beseech thee to put so much vertue into it as that I may never behold this word Behold but that I may there-withall remember I am made whole I am made whole not I have made my selfe whole or the Physitians have made me whole but I am made whole by thee and blesse thee for it with my whole soule and body in doing what thou commandest me to doe Sinne no more for sinne caused this sicknesse The Precept the stopping my eares at thy Word hath stopped my eares from the quicknesse of hearing and the shutting mine eyes to thy Directions hath taken from mine eyes the quicknesse of seeing My sinnes which weakened my soule in serving thee have weakned my body in serving me And now that I know my sinnes provoked thee to inflict this Sicknesse and weakened me by this sicknesse I will sinne no more not so much for the smart that I feele as for the act that thou forbiddest But Durus hic Sermo and Superbus hic sermo This is a hard Speech from thee ô God for who can beare it and this is a proud speech from me and I cannot doe it and yet I will doe it as I can and beseech thee I may doe it as thou wilt accept though I looke never so narrowly over my selfe all day yet at night I cannot say my Heart is cleane and therefore I beseech thee Cleanse me from my secret faults that my lips may not break out into out ragiousnesse or my hands into wickednesse I beseech thee againe and againe keepe me from presumptuous sinnes and whilst thou dost thus forgive me the one and preserve me from the other I shall so farre observe thy Precept Sinne no more as that a worse thing shall not fall upon me For though I suffer by the hand of thy providence The perswasion though I smart by the common accidents of this life though I am persecuted for righteousnesse sake Haec non durabunt atatem none of these shall last for ever Terminus malorum Mors the Grave will be a Quietus est a bed of rest and Death an end of these miseries But Si amplius peccavero pejus If I sinne againe If I sinne againe presumptuously my miseries will be longer liv'd There is a worme will gnaw upon my Conscience a fire that will never bee quenched a torment that will never be eased a Devill that will never be intreated a Hell that will never give me rest from whence that I may be preserved I beseech thee so to preserve me from sinne as that I may bee preserved into everlasting life through Iesus Christ upon the Altar of whose Crosse I offer thee my thankes and beseech thee to accept them in the sufficiency of whose Merits I desire thee to justifie me that I may pray and call thee as he hath taught me Our Father which art in Heaven c. Meditations upon the Plague IT is I that have sinned Oh Lord 2 Sam. 24.17 it is I c. So sayd King David and he sayd it as a King Is it not too much saucinesse in me the meanest subject to say what the mightiest King sayd It would be so if I did it to emulate it as a King But alas I doe it as a sinner a sinner not like him but a sinner farre greater than himselfe He committed the sinne for which that Plague was sent and who hath provoked God to send this Plague but my selfe or if any man sinnes beare mine company yet what mans sinnes can equall mine Is any man so selfe-confident as I am who so bold so presumptuous as the blind And for Davids selfe-confidence was that plague inflicted and why not this for mine He was the Head of that Common-wealth and am not I the Priest of this Parish The plague was no where then but there and where is it so great as here What Parish about this City compares with this In many Parishes none in some one never a one neare this never a two The two greatest of all doe but equall this in the * For one Weeke number and surely it is for my sinnes this though they are all sinners yet none of them all can say It is I that have sinned It is I but onely I my selfe Their sins alas are but sinnes of Ignorance at worst but sinnes of Negligence but mine are of Knowledge and contempt so I acknowledge my contempt and to the confusion of mine owne face I say it
Thankfulnesse for Gods Mercy PSAL. 136. Vers 26. O praise the God of Heaven for his Mercy endureth for ever THE Text cannot want a welcome when it is easie short and sweet easie to the Vnderstanding short to the Memory and sweet to the Affections This Text blessed be Gods holy Name for it is so and therefore does not so much desire as deserve your kind entertainment courteous embraces so easie that the thinnest capacity may understand it that the dullest understanding may conceive it for who understands not Mans duty O give thanks unto the God of Heaven and Gods pitty For his mercy endures for ever so short that it consists but of six words three in the former Celebrate Deum Coelorum and three in the latter part of the Verse In saeculae misericordia ejus And which of your memories is so brittle that it cannot remember sixe I never read but of one man that could not remember five not one of you is that one man you can remember sixe And to invite your Memory it is sweete to your Affections too as sweet as heart can desire What doth the guilty man desire but Mercy Mercy to remit his sinnes What doth the offending man desire but Mercy Mercy to dimit his faults What doth the leprous man desire but Mercy Mercy to cleanse him of his leprosie What doth the captived man desire but Mercy Mercy to redeeme him from his bondage and to set him at liberty What doth the sick man desire but Mercy Mercy to cure him of his sicknesse This this is the desire of all your hearts this relishes sweetly in your affections that God in mercy would remove the Plague from amongst us Why see to give the Text a welcome this is in the Text too it is the very ground of the Text For his mercy endureth for ever If this be not easie short and sweet enough why then divide the Text and the parts of it will bee more facile for the Vnderstanding more portable for the Memory and more toothsomme to the Affections so portable for the Memory that they are but two and those two so facile for the understanding that they are the plainest of all other First an Exhortation to the Dutie of Thankfulnesse O give thanks unto the God of Heaven And secondly a Perswasion to doe that Duty for if any one should aske why why give thanks unto the God of Heaven why why because his mercy endures for ever that is the maine part and what so delightsome to the affections of miserable man as the Mercy of a pittifull God Or if you will enlarge it to make it more delightsome to the affections and more plaine to the understanding though a little more combersome to the memory Then you have in the Exhortation these three particulars First the passion of the delivery Oh not simply doe it but Oh doe it Secondly the Ingemination of the Duty Oh give thanks in the beginning and Oh give thanks in the ending of the Psalme Thirdly the Excellency of the object not to the King of men not to the gods of the Heathen no but to the God of Heaven or the Heavenly God Then againe in the perswasion you have these foure particulars First What it is to endure for ever if you doe not aske that question you will hardly understand what it meanes how his mercy endures for ever Secondly How this is true His mercy endures for ever For if you doe not know that to be true or how that is true the Affections will by and by grow nauseous Thirdly why David chuses rather this than Judgement If you read the Psalme and read therein Hee overthrew Pharaoh in the Red Sea Verse 15. he slew famous Kings Verse 18. Or if you look upon the times and therein see the Plague why it may as well stand one would thinke His judgement endures for ever And then fourthly and lastly why the Prophet repeats this so often His mercy endures for ever Twenty sixe times in this one Psalme and when you understand this it will make the Duty goe downe a great deale better that is my first part and I begin with it I call'd it an Exhortation and so it is for herein David the King exhorts us that are subjects to give thankes to the God of Heaven Part 1. A duty this is and such a duty that it needes not my Rethoricke to fasten it upon you The Heaven and the Earth the Sea and the Rivers the Husbandman and his ground the Shepheard and his Sheepe the Carrier and his Asse doe all perswade it Heaven drops downe showres and the Earth in Thankfulnesse sprouts up Flowers the Sea fills the Rivers the Rivers in Thankfulnesse empty themselves into the Sea againe the Husbandman throwes his Corne into the ground the ground in Thankfulnesse returnes him ten for one the Shepheard feeds his sheepe the Sheepe in Thankfulnesse cloath the Shepheard the Carrier baites his Asse the Asse in Thankfulnesse carries him I pray God we prove not worse than the Asse in unthanâ—fulnesse to God for delivering us from the plague and pestilence Such a Duty it is that no duty hath stronger precepts for it no duty hath better patterns of it no Duty hath fairer promises to it The Old and the New Testament doe both command it Moses and the Prophets Christ and the Apostles did all practise it and the God of all will reward it above all other services First Ps 50.14 1 Thes 5. Offer unto God Thanksgiving saies the Prophet In all things give thankes saith the Apostle and as if Nature did concurre with Scripture Ingratum si dixeris omnia dixeris saies the meere naturall you cannot say worse of any man than to say He is unthankfull And well sayd that Royall King of blessed Memory who knew the depths of Nature and Texts of Scripture as well as any King before him Ingratus de praeteritis indignus de futuris He that is unthankfull for what he hath is unworthy to have what he wants And if wee are unthankefull for our preservation from this last Plague we shall be unworthy to bee preserved from the next Plague Christ therefore charged the Leper that was cleansed to offer for his Cleansing as Moses commanded and what was that but as at least a Lambe and a log of Oyle Lev. 5.14 and a tenth â—eale of fine floure for a meate offering Lev. 14.21 22. 〈◊〉 two Turtle Doves or two young Piâ—eons the one for a sinne-offering and the other for a burnt offering for an offering of Thanksgiving A Duty you see it is strongly commanded and so it is secondly as highly practised For Iacob the Paâ—iarke did it Gen. 32.10 I am not worthy of the â—east of all thy mercies with my staffe â—assed I over this Iordan and now â— am become two bands A thankefull acknowledgment this was and David the Prince did it and did it when â—he plague was stayed