speaketh This is that which the devote soule desireth in the first of the Canticles 4. Draw me and wee will rune after thee Of this drawing chiefly as I said these words are to be understood It hath sundry excellent properties whereof I shall touch but some 1. It is so necessar unto us That without it none can come to Christ as our Saviour saith here which he also mainly intends in this place If out Saviour had not called upon Lazarus when he was in his grave with a mighty Voice saying Lazarus come forth he should have remained there still untill he had returned into the dust Even so except the Voice of GOD Call and Draw us out of our corruption we can never come out of it Without me sayeth our LORD Yee can do nothing We are not sufficient of our selves as of our selves to thinke a good thought but all our sufficiency is of GOD. 2. Cor. 3. 5. Our minds are full of blindnes vanity and forgetfulnes our wills are perverse and bent to evil and our spirituall enemies are mighty Yea beside that these actions whereby we must follow GOD are sublime heavenly and supernaturall which nature of it self can never reach unto If the body of a man be able and found he may indeed walke and rune yet can he not slie because that is above the reach and power of nature even so although there were not that corruptions in us which is indeed in us yet without the speciall Assistance of GOD we could never mount up to these high heavenly actions whereby we follow Christ by believing his Truth by loving his Goodnes and hoping in his Mercy It is necessary therefore that we be furnished by him with new Strength whereby he draweth us and inableth us to follow after him He giveth us the eye of Faith whereby we may beleeve meditate contemplate these mysteries which are necessary to be known for our salvation God saieth S. PAUL 2. Cor. 4. who commanded light to shine out of darknes hath made his Light to shine in our hearts He giveth to our soules the spirituall feet or rather wings of Hope and Love by which we may follow after him They that wait upon the LORD Isa 40. 31. shall renew their strength they shall mount up as the â—agels they shall run and not be weary they shall walk not be faine Love and Hope which are the affections of the soul are as it were the feet of it whereby it moveth toward that which it apprehendeth as Good Love is the chief affection and as it were the right foot Thence ariseth desire of Good when it is absent joy of Good when it is present hatred of the contrary evill feare of that evil when it approacheth and sorrow for it when it seizeth on us Hope is as it were the least foot of the soule whereby we move toward that Good which is hard to be obtained From it ariseth boldnes courage magnanimity constancie to endure travails and troubles anger zeale to resist impediments But this Love and Hope simply considered will never leade us in the way to Christ and therefore as God giveth us Faith to be a spirituall eye so he giveth us supernaturall Love and Hope to be the feet of our soule whereby we may move and runne after Christ in the way of the obedience of these commandements which by the light of faith are manifested to us yet so as we chiefly leane to the Love of GOD and our neighbour which is as I said the right and chief foot whereby our hope is strengthened and confirmed For hope maketh us not ashamed because the Love of GOD is shed abroad iâ— our hearts by the holy Ghost which is given us Rom. 5. 5. To conclude this point then This drawing is so necessary that without It noné did ever come or shall ever come to Christ Of our selves we can with these Jews murmure at his Words disassent from them but cannot beleeve them farrelesse can we love him and trust in his mercy Without common calling spoken of before none can come at all in any measure and without this effectuall drawing none can come as he ought Secondly This drawing of the Father is not necessary only for one moment but is a continued and perpetuall assistance We cannot begin without it nor without it can wee end It is GOD that worketh in us both to will and to do Some thought that the beginning of our conversion is from our solves but most falsly There is no good thought nor good affection in us but from God till he preveene and excite us we can neither seek nor desire as we ought The devote soule had never said Draw me and we will ran after thee except in some measure before she had been drawn and excited to seek and to desire to run after Christ Therefore our LORD saieth Behold I stand at the doore I knock He knocketh before we open yea he softneth he openeth it as he did the heart of Lydia Our endevours are none at all saieth S. BERNARD except they be excited He saith Seek my Face before we answer Thy Face LORD I will seek hide not thy Face from me neither cast away thy servant in displeasure So on the other part our endevours are but in vaine if they be not still assisted accompanied by the powerfull Grace of GOD. Hence David sayeth in that same place before cited Thou hast been my help leave me not neither forsake me O GOD of my salvation I have laboured more abundantly then all the Apostles sayeth S. PAUL yet not I but the Grace of God that is within me Albeit we be set in the right way yet can wee not go a foot except Christ bee with us Except thy Presence go with us take us not hence said MOSES to the LORD Exod. 33. who answered him My Presence shall go before thee and give thee rest Whence is it that Godly men do not only follow Christ but think his yoake easie and his burden light because Christ his Grace is alwayes with them supporting strengthening comforting them Hence the deniall of themselves seemeth easie their patience sweet their humility glorious their prayers and devetion pleasant and joyfull Christ going before them also as it were from whose precious oyntments so sweet a smell proceedeth as allureth and draweth after him those that do perceive them His divine Perfections are as it were these precious oyntments especally his Mercy Wisdome and Holines all which send forth a sweet flagrant smell which is most powerfull to draw after him what are his gracious Promises and manifold Blessings his heavenly Illustrations his divine Consolations and most sweet affections of devotion but as it were the sweet and flagrant smell of his Mercy What is his word which is the word of life that discovereth to us the way of salvation but as it were the sweet savour of his Wisdome So all
to the beholding of it but if we consider the occasion of this Song hee inviteth us to the beholding of it with a reference to the wofull and dolefull evils of Division when DAVID entered into his kingdom the kingdom of Israel was devided and there was a long and bloody warr betwixt Israel and Iud◠〈◊〉 end it pleased God to send a blessed Vnitie and Peace both In the Church State so that both DAVID the speaker they to whom he did speak had experience both of the good of unitie of the evill of Division wherby they had been brought almost to utter desolation Out of this experience he saieth Behold yee have tasted so long of the bitter fruits of Discord which hath made you that were brethren to hate persecute one another as cruell enemies behold now and see how inestâ—â—able is the benefit of Vnitie and how good and pleasant a thing it is for brethren to dwell together in it Let us now see what it is which he commendeth and how he commendeth it That which hee commendeth is the dwelling of brethren together in Vnitie which also importeh the reason why this should be done as we shall heare To dwell together in Vnitie is not to dwell in one place The Vnitie he speaketh of is the unitie of brotherlie Concord wherby as the latine word importeth the hearts of men are knit together according to that Act. 4. 32. And the multitude of them that beleeved were of one heart and of one soule This Concord maketh a man not onlie to do that which another willeth but also to will that which he willeth and therefore presupponeth the union of mindes and judgements especiallie in things of importance and is grounded upon the will of God revealed to us into a true and perfect Concord So it is not true concord or unitie of hearts when fear imposeth a necessitie of obeying or when hatred malice envy are clocked with outward shewes of love Feare commandeth not this Concord neither can subtiltie of wit work it Temporall gaine cannot buy it neither can paper and inke keep it but the God of Love and Vnitie who hath commanded it giveth confirmeth preserveth and keepeth it They that have this Concord dwell together in unitie although they be in diverse places and have many bodies yet they have as it were but one heart and one soule Who aâ— they that should have this unitie Brethren All men in some sort are brethren being descended of this same first parents and partakers of this same nature but DAVID meaneth those who were more straitly tyed together as partakers of the same kingdom and countrey members of the same Church Those are brethren and there ought to be no division betwixt brethren Let there be no strife I pray thee between thee and mee for wee are brethren said ABRAHAM to LOT Gen. 13. 8. Feare joy and sorrow should be common unto brethren and nothing more hatefull then that one brother should hate another rejoyce at his evill be grieved at his good or that he should cast him down and trample him under his feet So when he saieth brethren he not only sheweth who but also why wee should keep unitie amongst our selves even because wee are brethren Now wee have the thing commended The unitie and concord of brethren Let us see how he commendeth it How good and how pleasant is it saieth he It is not only good nor only pleasant but both good and pleasant Some things are good that are not pleasant as Travels repentance fasting Martyrdome and some things are pleasant that are not good as many sinfull actions but Concord and Peace are both good and pleasant Beside he saith not simplie that it is good pleasant but How good how pleasant to signifie the excellencie of goodnes and pleasure that is in it and therefore the seaventie Interpreters render it thus What is good and pleasant but that brethren dwell together in unitie First then It is good and so good that without it nothing is good and by it all necessar good is attained In naturall things everie thing is that which it is by union or unitie and by that same unitie is conserved in the being thereof and if it bee capable of further perfection is by that unitie strengthned till it attaine to that perfection which is due unto it Nay further the blessednes of God himself consisteth in unitie wherby he is present to himself and whereby he hath all his divine perfections most straitly and unseparablie united In like manner the Wel-being of all Societies civill or ecclesiasticall dependeth froÌ„ their unitie When the Christian Church was first planted it consisted of a small number but being of one heart and of one soul did soone spread it self throughout the whole world When Rome was first founded it was scarse two myles of compasse but by unitie warrlike vertue it came to pass that in the time of Aurelian the Emperour it had the compasse of fiftie myles and the dominion of the world almost By concord small things grow to an hight and so it is good profitable but by discord and division all things even the greatest things declyne from their pryme estate and are weakned diminished and in end perish If the members of the body should rise up one against another if the right hand should cutt off the left if the fingers should pull out the eyes if one member should draw the nourishment from another the body could not stand even so no house nor city nor kingdome nor church divided against it self can stand Secondly As the unitie of brethren is good so it is pleasant beautifull That which maketh this World to bee a beautifull frame is the unitie that is in it So long as the heaven the ayre the sea and the earth every thing therin agree and do their own duties for which they were appointed calmly without perturbation it hath an incomparable beautie But if things should become confused and disordered nothing should bee more deformed so is it in respect of humane societie Nothing more beautifull and desirable then the unitie peace thereof and nothing more uglie and horrible then divisions and tuptures therein Hence it is that there is no man but he desireth peace As all men desireth to rejoyce so al desire to have peace saieth holy Augustine even Martiall men that have the sword in the one hand fire in the other they are seeking peace such a peace as they imagine to be right as the same Father observeth in the 19. of the city of God and 12 chap. In a word we desire it in our houses in our wives in our children in our friends and in all things wee wish to have peace It appeareth by a sermon of S. August upon the CXLVII psal That when hee had uttered these words of the Text Hee maketh peace in thy borderit The people at the
all his benefits so especially for that of our Redemption By the right performance of this duty we begin our heaven on earth for the proper exercise of heaven is PRAISE blessed ar they that dwel in thy house for they ar still praising thee The blessed spirits are still singing blissing and glory and honour and power and wisedome c. Beside thanksgiving for former benefits is a secret and real prayer drawing down new benefits it preserveth the benefits we have receaved and procureth the increase of them wheras Vnthankfulnes depriveth us both of that which we have and of that which we ought to have looked for Iustly therefor saieth CHRISOST that thanksgiving is great wealth and treasures an unexhausted good which while a man hath he hath aboundance although he had lost all other thing Hast thou lost thy means and yet doest thou praise God thou hast gained thy soule and GGDS favour in greater measure then before When all other things was taken from IOB yet having an heart to praise God and to say The Lord hath given the Lord hath taken blessed be his Name He was most rich even in that his povertie Let us therefore earnestly apply our hearts and minds to this praise of God And let every one in his temple think speak of his glory Wee proceed now to the next duty And unto thee shall the vow be performed As Praise so vowes and the performance thereof belongeth to Thankefulnesse And therefore these two are ordinarly joyned in scripture For clearing of this point we will shortly shew what is a Vow 2. How it belongeth to Thankefulnesse For the first A Vow is a religious promise made to God willingly of a thing acceptable to him It is a promise A purpose to do a thing is not sufficient to make a Vow which is a kinde of Contract betwixt God and man obliedging a man to the performance of something by way of fidelity which obliedgment cannot be without a promise or practical kinde of speech as Schoolmen speak whereby a man tyeth himself as he tyeth another by his commandement Secondly It is a Promise made to God Vnto thee saieth my Text shall the vow be performed Vow pay your vowes unto the Lord psal 76. 11. Offer unto God thanksgiving pay thy vows unto the most High psal 50. 14. In a word everiewher in holy scripture we find vows made to none but to God And yet this day the practise of the Roman Church is to make vows to saints And their Doctours labour to justifie this practise It is acknowledged by Bell. That a vow in holy scripture is ever taken for a promise made to God And yet saieth he vows are rightly made to saints A strange thing How can these two consist Heare I pray you his answere When the scripture was written saieth he vowing to saints was not in use This certainly is true but to confesse it what else is it but to condemne their own practise as an innovation whereby the honour due to God alone is given to the creature O saieth he The saints are Gods by participation They in a most excellent manner are partakers of his naturall glory but by no distinction may the honour due to God be given to any other by the same shift they might alleadge offering of sacrifice to saints with which making of vows is cōmonly joyned in scripture Thirdly I say It is a religious Promise VOWING is a proper act of Religion or the worship of God As by an Oath which is an proper act of worship we profess God to be the supream truth and the Maintainer of it so by a vow wee professe God to bee most good and to be well pleased with the doing of good and indeed a vow is not much different from a promisarie oath except That the Oath is made to man but the vow is made to God 2. To vow to a false God should be Idolatrie and therefore a vow to the true God is true religion and worship which shall hereafter more appeare Fourthly It is a promise made willingly God loveth a cheerfull giver repelleth that which is done by constraint or vnwilingly A vow is as it were a private Law whereby a man bindeth himselfe and differeth in this from a general Law that a general Law bindeth a man whether he be willing or unwilling but so doeth not a vow therefore if made without the use of reason or through ignorance or fear it obliedgeth not Fifthly It must be of a thing acceptable to God That is of such a thing the doing thereof is better then the not doing of it If the thing vowed cannot serve for an good purpose it is but the sacrifice of fools If 〈◊〉 a thing evil as was that of these who vowed not to eat or drink till they had killed S. Paul Act. 23. 12. It maketh the vow abominable for beside the wickednes of intending or doing such a thing he that voweth it cōmitteth akynd of blasphemy in so far as by vowing it he confesseth that God is pleased with such an evil The matter therefore of a vow must be a thing that may be done acceptable to God but these things are of two sorts some are not necessare in particular to be done by such or such a person some againe are necessare Of both some doubt is made whether they bee a fit matter of vow Some Papists affirme that our Divines deny that a vow may be made of a thing not cōmanded or not necessar but this is a calumnie Our learned Divines acknowledge that ther at some things which if a man omitt he shal not sinne yet to do them were better then not to do them and consequently that a man may vow to do such a thing For example such or such a man should not sin not to give such a summe of money to the poo◠or pious uses yet if he would give it he should do better and may vow so to do The same may be said of Fasting or abstinence at such and such times That such things may be vowed is cleare from scripture which everie where almost speaketh of such vows Deut. 23. 21. 22. The Lord cōmands That if a man mak a vow be shal perform it but saith the Lord If thou forbeare to vow it shall not be sinne unto thee To give such or such a summe of money to the poor is a good work without a vow and pleasing to God being an act of charitie why then should it not be pleasing to God when a Vow is passed upon it That which our Divines condemn in such vows is That men ascrive Merite unto them account them works of supererogation and by making them rashly ensnare their own Consciences These and like abuses being removed they acknowledge that vows made of such things are hinderances of sinne nourishments of devotion and profitable exercises whereby the minde is confirmed in good and keeped
before whom wee stand guilty till he speak peace ther is no solid calmnes in our minds Beside our hearts naturally are full of trouble and tormoyle and therefore cannot have peace unlesse it be created in them Now this is the proper work of God who saieth Isai 57. to this purpose I creat the fruit of the lips peace peace to him that is a far off Lastly so long as sinfull corruption is not healed in our soules their wound remaineth greene which suffereth us to have no rest Now it is God alone who can healâ— the soule and therefore it is he only who can give peace to it Thus the working of this peace in us is the peculiar work of God If he stand by no man nor angell can give it Hence DAVID even after the tydings of peace brought unto him by NATHAN cryeth yet to God for peace and joy Make me to heare the voyce of joy and gladnesse that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoyce Upon the other part as it is God alone who giveth this peace so for our comfort wee are to know that hee can easily give it and keep and preserve us in it It costeth him no more but a word if be but speak peace wee are sure to have it I will heare what the Lord God will speak hee will speak peace unto his people If he but speak the word it is done To this purpose we have a notable place Isai 44. There the Lord is thus descrived The Lord who saieth to Jerusalem be thou inhabited and to the cities of Judah be yee built that sayeth unto the depth be dryed up that saieth to Cyrus his servant thou art my sheepherd and shalt perform all my pleasure So the Lord needeth no more but a word to build Judah to make Jerusalem inhabited to remove all impediments out of the way of his people to perswade the heart of Cyrus an heathen man to be their nursing father Thus Psal 44. the PROPHET saieth to God Thou art my King O God command deliverance for Jacob. If God but send forth his Commandement it shall be obeyed When the sea is most raging and the waves greatest if Christ say be still there shall be a great calm This serveth exceedingly for our comfort that our God whom we serve is able so easily to give us peace and calmnesse in all our troubles and distresses Yee found this latlie by your own experience When yee looked for the help of man yee were disappointed and felt that the Arme of flesh is a vaine thing to trust into but when your Troubles wer come to the hieght your 〈◊〉 desperate then the Lord spake peace to you and whâ—â— hâ—â—aid was performed Would God that yee were sensible of â—his his goodnes and O that yee may be alwayes mindfull 〈◊〉 that by the consideration of so great a benefite yee may 〈◊〉 alwayes stirred up to praise him and to trust in his mercie 〈◊〉 much of the benefite Now I come to the description of them to whom it belongeth Whose minde is stayed on thee c. The words in the originall signifieth the minde or thought is stayed and by some are referred to God by others to the godly Learned CALVIN writting upon this place referreth the words to God thus The counsell and purpose of God whereby he hath decreed to preserve the peace of his servants is unchangeable and therefore he will keep them in peace There can no alterations fall out in this world which may change his immutable minde so there is a secret opposition betwixt Gods thought and ours My thoughts are not as yours Isai 55. neither are my wayes as your wayes but as high as the heaven is above the earth so high are my thoughts above your thoughts and my wayes above your wayes The minde and the counsell of God is immutable whereas our thoughts are changeable every moment upon the least occasion He is the Lord and changeth not and therefore wee are not consumed Secondly The words may bee referred to the godly thus Their minds are stayed and fixed on God and therefore he will keep them in peace Our Interpreters have so expounded the words and this seemeth best to agree with them But yee will ask what is this to have our minds stayed on God I answere unto this first is required that our hearts bee withdrawn from all things else Wee cannot have our minds on God and the creature both for Wee cannot serve two masters Hence our blessed Lord requireth of his disciples that they deny themselves and telleth them that none can be his disciple except he hate father and mother wise and children c. So it wee would have our hearts stayed on God they must settle upon nothing besids him This is necessarie for the obtaining of our peace which wee cannot enjoy so long as our hearts are fixed upon any creature The reasons are cleare First the creatures are transitorie and changeable and therefore the heart set upon them must needs change with them 2. While as the heart is inordinatly set on the creature the affections are contrarie to sound reason and our actions are contrarie to God and his Law so during this inordinat love we have a warre which standeth not with peace 3. As long as the heart doth cleave inordinatly to any creature there must needs bee a continuall feare which is contrarie to the Peace of the minde For either wee feare that wee shall not obtaine that which wee love or that wee shall losse it when it is obtained or that we shall not recover it when it is lost Either we feare that our will shall be crossed or suppose our desires second us in all things yet our guilty conscience accuseth and tormenteth us 4. There is no creature how perfectly soever enjoyed by us that can give satisfaction to out soules without which they can haue no peace Such is the nobilitie of our soule such is the excellencie of our minds and wils that a world yea a thousand worlds known beloved and possessed cannot give them rest contentment Either the Object delighted in is unproportionated to the soule as the sound to the eye or the colour to the eare or at least is unable to equall the infinite desire of it This none can do but God O LORD thou hast made us for thy self saieth holy AUGUST and our hearts are restlesse till they rest in thee Thus when ever we would have peace or have our hearts on God wee must withdraw them from the creatures The next thing that is required for staying our hearts upon God is that we joyne unto him by sincere love and by humble submission of our desires wills to his so that we love nothing but in him or for him desire nothing but his Glory and the accomplishment of his will This is the solid way to Peace when men will and nil the same things then there is true
them Of this Look DAVID Psal 104. saieth He looketh upon the earth and it trembleth He toutbeth the mountains and they smoke Secondly somtimes he looketh in Mercie and Favour of this DAVID speaketh Psal 25. Look upon mine affliction and my pain and for give all my sinnes And Psal 119. 132. Look upon me and be mercifull unto me as thou usest to do to them that love thy Name It was with this Look that he beheld S. Peter at this time as appeareth by the gracious mercifull effect thereof for it wakned him out of security and brought him to remembrance and consideration of that which he had done c. Here first observe the necessitie and power of Christs Grace The necessitie for till Christ looked upon Peter he neither remembred what he had done not considered the hynousnesse thereof The cock crew againe and againe and this should have been a memoriall of his fall and an admonition to repent but all this availed nothing till Christ looked upon him Likewise so powerfull was this Look that no sooner doeth Christ look upon him but he remembereth and considereth his heart melts and his eyes gush out with tuares They whom Christ looketh upon bewaile their sinnes sayeth S. AMBROSE as without it there is no saving good so where it is there is all good Whence was it that the blessed Virgine was the Mother of our LORD It was because God had Looked upon the low estate of his handmaid Whence is it that we enjoy any good in this life or in the life to come more then others it is because it pleased God to look upon us from eternitie with the eyes of his mercy Hence that prayer of the ancient Church Lord look upon me with these eyes wherewith thou looked upon Marie Magdalen in the banquet wherewith thou looked upon S. Peter in the hall and wherewith thou looked upon the thief upon the crosse Grant unto me that with Marie Magdalen I may perfectly love thee with Peter I may bitterly â—walle my sinnes and that with the thief I may see thee for ever Secondly we may observe here the readinesse and willingnesse of God to show mercie even to most grievous sinners Our Lord at this time was arreigned before his enemies bound buffered condemned or ready to be condemned On the other part S. Peter had forsaken him denied him that with Oaths curses yet forgetting the injuries done to him both by his enemies and by his own Apostle he remembereth him and looketh upon him and plucketh him out of the mouth of the Lyon who was ready to devoure him This and the like examples of mercie serve much to encourage and comfort distressed souls ready to despaire through the sight of their own sinnes S. AUGUSTINE in his 9. 10 sermons on the words of the Apostle 1. Tim. 1. 15. hath a sweet meditation to this purpose of the Mercie of God shewn to S. PAUL suppose saith he an excellent skilful physitian should come to a place where he is not known and having wrought a rare cure upon a man desperatly diseased would say to him whom he had cured go thy wayes now to other men who have the like disease show them what I have done unto thee Bid them be of good courage I am able and willing to cure them also If this man should come to a person so diseasea as he was looking for nothing but death and should say to him be of good courage I have seen the like disease and have had the like my self and have been cured by him who is willing to cure thee also and hath hiden me tell thee so much This could not be but matter of great comfort unto him Even so saieth he S. PAUL healed by the Great Physitian CHRIST JESVS saieth unto thee who are ready to despaire He that cured me sent me unto thee he said unto me go tell distressed foules what I have done to thee what I have cured in thee and how soon with one voycel called thee from heaven with another I did cast thee down with the third I raised thee up and with the fourth I healed perfected and crowned thee say unto thee sick cry unto them that are ready to despaire This is a true and faithfull saying that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners Why feare yee why doubt yee I am the chief of them and I obtained mercy for this effect that in me he might show forth all long suffering for a patern for them that should there after believe upoÌ„ him to everlasting lif I was a persecuter and blasphemer I keeped the garments of them that stoned his first Martyre Steven I breathed nothing but surie and thirsted nothing but the blood of the Saints I was in a spirituall frâ—necie and did strick my phisitian and yet he suffered me long and in end took away my disease Thus S. PAUL speaketh to us and so doeth S. Peter and many others which is matter as I said of unspeakable comfort This much for the cause of his repentance The repentance it self followeth And PETER called to minde the words of Jesus Being Looked upon by our LORD First he remembereth his words and no doubt considered and weighed his own sinne This remembring or calling to minde importeth that before he had forgotten or at least considered not Christ his Words It is strange that he should have forgotten him with whom he was so familiar who that night had washed his feet and from whom that night he had received the holy sacrament but such is the corruption of our nature that most quickly we forget GOD and his Word Hence we are compared to lacking vessels that rune out Hence the LORD Deut. 4. saieth â—kè heed to thy self and keep thy soul diligently lest thou forget the thing which thine eyes have seen and that they depart not from thy heart for ever And againe Deut. 8 Take heed to thy self that thou forget not the LORD thy GOD in not keeping his Commandements and judgements and statutes c. who would give himself to wickednes if he remembred and considered the Goodnes of God bestowed upon him and laid up for him if he remembred and considered the end for which God made and redeemed him even that he might serve him in holinesse and righteousnesse all the dayes of his life if he considered the filthinesse that is in sinne and the great evils that it bringeth upon the body and soul both here and hereafter It is most manifest that we forget or consider not these things when we give place to sinne This is the cause of our offending God and is in it self a great offence There is no moment wherein we taste not of the Mercies of God and therefore there is no moment wherein we should not remember him We should not breath oftener then we should remember him Wo to them that regard not to forget him the time shall come when
DIVERSE Select SERMONS Upon severall TEXTS of holy SCRIPTVRE Preached by that Reverend and faithfull Servant of JESUS CHRIST D. James Sibald Doctour of DIVINITY Late Preacher of the Gospell at ABERDENE There-after At DUBLIN in IRELAND Published after his Death Remember how thou hast received heard and hold fast and repent REVEL 3. 3. Printed at ABERDENE by Iames Brown 1618. TO The Right Honourable JOHN JAFFRAY PROVEST ROBERT FORBES GILBERT GRAY ALEX. ROBERTSONE ALEXANDER ALEXANDER Bailies And the remnant of the Honourable Councell of the City of ABERDENE Grace mercy and peace c. RIght Honourable This posthumus WORK coming forth to Publick view IT was thought fitt not without reason to have your H. Names so eminent Favourers of learning piety prefixed unto it For by the defence it may expect at your hands as an Orphan The Authour of it did labour in your City a considerable time in the Lords Worke and probablie would have ended his Labours where he began them if GOD in his holy provideÌ„ce wherunto he learned to submit himself had not disposed otherwise of him As he studied to approve himself unto GOD a Work-man that needed not to bee ashamed rightlie dividing the Word of Truth and to have his Conversation such as became a Minister of the gospel of Christ through his rich blessing upon his travels was instrumentall for strengthning to wel-doing for lifting up of weak hands for comforting of Mourners for winning to settling in the Truth so with the same minde in the rest of his beloved Charge your love and respects towards him your longings after him when he was withdrawn from you were very great Vpon these accounts next to the glory of GOD and the well of his Church in generall These following Sermons preached upon severall occasions in your hearing are published and to be an encouragement to your H. to go on and persevere in the wayes of holinesse and righteousnesse whereunto while he was with you he did from time to time most earnestly exhort you that as yee were his hope here yee may bee his Joy and Crown of rejoycing in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming Which is the earnest prayer of Your H. humble servant I. S. Christian Reader SOme of the Travels of one who is now resting from his laboures are here presented unto thee It is more then probable if before the publication of them they had been revised by himself for thy further satisfaction they had come forth both more polisthed and enlarged Notwithstanding it is hoped that the Voice of the Dead yet speaking in them upoÌ„ thy diligent perusall of them through the Lords Mercy may prove helpfull to further thee in thy way to eternall life The Authour was first called from the profession of Phylosophy in COLLEDGE-MARISCHALL in Aberdene to a pastorall Charge of souls in the same City where to his great joy he saw the seale of his Ministry and the LORDS Work prospering in his hand Afterwards when the troubles of this Nation both in Church and State were come to a great hight the sad effects whereof he oftentimes foretold and bemoned upon the not concurring of his judgement in the manner of Church-Goverment with them who were other wayes minded He was called to afflictions and sufferings and which he looked upon as the heaviest of all to leave them who were so deare unto him and to whom so oft with 〈◊〉 mutuall joy he had holden forth the word of life His last Service in the ministry of the Gospell was in the city of Dublin in Ireland which at that time was againe and againe in great danger of the bloody sword of their unnaturall Countrey-men of the popish party their rageing exceedingly sheding much innocent blood Here he acquited himself so eminently a burning and ashining light that he was greatly beloved of all living very much desired and dying no lesse lamented and the reâ—lity of their affections was demonstrate by evident testimonies of their respects to him both in his life time aud after his death In this city after he had run his race of ten years labours in the LORDS Work he finished his course and was called to receive that eternall Crown which was prepared for him and for all who love the appearing of our LORD Iesus Christ in Glory at his second coming I have only this to adde further in a word that his recepts from the Father of lights were not small for his great abilities in the Oriental languages and all kinde of liberall sciences humane divine expressing them selves with the tongue of the learned dayly growing to greater perfection wer accompanied with the power of Godlines earnest desires for the peace of the Church unanimity with his worthy fellow labourers gravity humility charity and all other christian graces So being confident that his Memorie shall he blessed and his laboures profitable I shall adde only that of the Poet speaking of another Vivet extento Proculeius aevo Notus in fratres animi paterni Illum aget penna metuente solvâ— Fama superstes Horat. Lib. 2. Carm. od 2. J S. THE FIRST SERMON PSAL. CXLV vers 1. 2. I will extoll thee my God O King and I will blesse thy Name for ever and ever Every day will I blesse thee and I will praise thy Name for ever and ever ALthough all Scripture bee given by inspiration of GOD and bee profitable for doctrine for reproof for correction for instruction in righteousnesse 2. TIM 3. 16. yet the Psalmes among other parts of scripture have been ever thought to have a speciall excellencie S. Chrysostome in the 5. Tom. of his works 6. Hom. of Repentance saieth That this was the coÌ„mon sense of Christians in his time albeit saieth he Moses was the great Lawgiver saw God face to face yet saieth he his books are scarce read once a yeare The gospell wherin Christs miracles are registrat wherin we see death destroyed life restored and God as it were conversing with men is read saieth hee but once or twyce a weeke The Epistles of S. Paul who was the Orator of Christ who was taken up to the third heaven who saw things which is not lawfull to utter are read saieth he but twice a weeke But saieth he in the meane time DAVID is read day and night All carrie him about at all times as a precious and sweet smelling oyntment If wee abide in the Church all night David is the first and the middle and the last with whom wee end If wee sing hymnes to God in the morning DAVID is the first and the middle and the last If wee have pompe at the Funerals of the dead DAVID is the first the middle and the last Even they that have not letters have him as it were ingraven in the heart Neither is this only in Churches and towns but in all places in all times 2. Sam. 23. 1. The sweet singer of Israel
contentions among them that so at least he may overcome them Beside all this our manifold sinnes deserve at Gods hands that he should suffer us to cast away this blessing of Peace and therefore in all these respects we ought carefullie to take heed to it to humble our selves under the hand of God to turne from our sinnes Drunkennesse whoredom profaning of the Lords Day Pryd malice and others our abominations and fervently to pray That the Lord yet would spare his people and 〈◊〉 give his inheritance to reproch and yet of his great goodnes continue peace in our Church in our State and in this citie among ourselves Secondly Observe that in so farre as we are exhorted to Vnitie and Concord which should bee among the saints in the Church of God wee are also exhorted to follow these vertues without which it cannot be obtained nor preserved and to â—lee these vices which fight directly against it or tend to the overthrow of it What are these yee will say I shall give you but two Humilitie and Meeknesse First Humilitie is necessar For by pride cometh contention saith the wise-man Let nothing be done through strife or vaine glorie saieth S. Paul exhorting to unitie Philipp 2. But let each one in humilitie think of another better then of himself So our Saviour saieth Learne of me for I am meek and lowlie in heart Alace if wee had this humilitie our contentions might soon be at an end it would make us think lesse of our own thoughts and not to despyse others Men that are given to trouble would consider that they are also men that they may erre aswell as others To erre in nothing saieth S. AUGUST is angelicall perfection to be deceived in somthings is a thing incident to humane infirmitie but for a man to love his own opinion so that for maintenance of it hee would fall in heresie or schisme is a divelish presumption saith he in his 2. book of Baptisme against the Donatists What came the Word of God from you or came it unto you only saieth S. Paul 1. Cor. 14. 36. Secondly Meeknesse is required Our Lord the Prince of peace requires this also in the place before cited The servaÌ„t of the Lord saieth S. Paul 2. Tim. 2. 24. must be gentle apt to teach patient In meeknes instructing them that are contrarie minded if peradventure God will give them repentance The good orthodox fathers of old dealt even so with those that were hereticks schismiticks Optatus Milivitan ' a godly ancient father in his first book against ParmeniaÌ„ calleth the Donatists brethren albeit these Donatists would no wayes acknowledge him and his fellowes for brethren S. Augustine in his 14. sermon upon the words of the Apostle speaking of them that were infected with the Pelagian errour Wee would gladlie wish that our brethren would not call us hereticks wee call them not so albeit it may be saieth he wee have reason wee beare with them in the bowels of pittie that they may bee healed and instructed They go too farre and it is hard to beare with them and a matter of great Patienâ—eâ— Let them not abuse the patience of the Church but be amended wee eâ—hâ—rt as friends and do not contend as enemies They reproach 〈◊〉 but wee beare with it They misregard Rules but cannot prevaile against the trueth And thus we have touched how Peace Vnitie should be preserved if in humilitie meeknes we subject our hearts unto it that the peace of God may rule in our hearts To conclude I beseech you to think highly of your Vnitie and to maintaine it carefully and earnestly Yee have seene for a long space blessed be God How good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unitie Yee have found it as a most precious and sweet smelling ointment and as a most refreshing dew and God hath made many blessings to accompany it among you I beseech you to take heed that ye deprive not your selves of this benefit by hearkening to those that would make Division among you As for us that are your Pastors as we have preached truth so wee have preached alwayes this unitie and peace Wee have troubled the peace of none nor have meddled with any that belong not to us Wee are sorie for the divisions that we see elswhere Yee know that God who is the God of peace and love is grieved thereby that good men are displeased therewith that weak ones are offended and that to our adversaries this is great matter of rejoycing Wee heartly wish peace everie where and continually pray for it and are readie to promove it so far as we can with a good conscience But wee must not as it is well said by Gregorie Nazianzene in his 32. Oration affect peace with prejudice of truth that we may be called gentle and meeke Wee can do nothing against the truth but for the truth which wee are most willing to follow and maintaine in love The Lord open the eyes of all that they may see the truth and unite all our hearts that we all with one heart one soule may say Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unitie The Lord grant this and that for the merits of Christ to whom c. A SERMOM of Thanksgiving Upon LXV Psalme Novemb. 5. 1637. Vers 1. Praise waiteth for thee O God in Zion and unto thee 〈◊〉 the vow be performed 2. O thou that hearest praier unto thee shall all flesh come BEside the ordinarie service of this day wee are by Gods grace to offer to God an extraordinarie sacrifice of Praise and Thanksgiving for the benefite of Fertilitie wherewith hee hath blessed this yeare For this benefit I say which this land stood in so great neede of and whereof we were likly to be deprived by the tempestuous weather in the begining of harvest For the right performance of this duty I have made choise of a part of this most sweet divine psalme and song of Thanksgiving indyted by God to David and that as some think to be a paterne to the Church of God whereby her praise and thanks should be directed The blessed Prophet shortly compriseth in it the chief benefits bestowed upon man by God First he setteh down benefits spirituall namely the choising of men to be his people the hearing of their prayers the pardoning of their sins the sealing of them with his Spirit by the light wherof they know him and by the sweetnes whereof they are refreshed and satisfied in his house that is his Church 2. He considereth the goodnesse of God in establishing and defending the civill Estate against the furies of the divell and tumults of men that humane societie may be maintained and flowrish in honestie and peace aswell as in pietie 3. He expresseth the benefit of the fertilitie fruitfulnes of the earth redounding to the comfort both of man and beast which
This is his unchangeable Nature to render good to them that do good and evill to them that do evil Say unto the righteous it shal be well with him but wo to the wicked it shall ill with him Tribulation and anguish upon the soule of every one that doth evill c. When thy face was toward God his countenance shyned upon thee now thou hast turned thy back to him and what wonder that thou find not the beames of the light of his countenance since hee is unchangeable If thou would enjoy his face and favour as before turne to him againe and because of thy self thou cannot do it say to him with the PROPHET Turne thou me O Lord and I shall be turned heale thou me and I shall be healed I come now to the second perfection of God which the PROPHET here considereth in him IT is his Dominion or Kingdome implyed in this That he is the Lord and hath a Throne Hee meaneth that hee is the supreame Lord and that his Throne is exalted over all both these belong to him by way of excellencie There are many lords and kings but not as hee The greatest kings depend from him By me kings reigne saieth he Prov. 8. 13. Their power is his ordinance Rom. 13. and that is their chief dignitie that they ar his anointed He setteth the Crown upon their heads ps 21. It is he that hath called theÌ„ gods ps 82. 6. I have said Year gods And he hath their hearts in his hand as the rivers of waters and â—urneth them whither he will Prov. 21. Beside the dominion of other Kings even of the most free Monarchs dependeth in some sort from the subjects They stand in need both of their heart and of their hands and if they want these what can they do This is the defect of all earthly Dominion As the the servant standeth in neede of the Master so the Master standeth in neede of the servant and hath a kinde of dependance from him as August observeth upon the 69 psal Thy servant standeth in neede of thy bread and thou standest in neede of his travels but it is not so with God he dependeth from none for he standeth in neede of none O my soule thou hast said unto the Lord thou art my God my goodnesse extendeth not to thee Secondly This Dominion of God as it is supreame and independent so it is universall Other kings are called so with a limitation as the kings of France or Spayne or of some other particular Countrey but God is absolutlie the LORD and absolutlie the KING If thou ascend to heaven it is his Throne If thou look to the earth it is his Footstoole If thou looke to hell it is his Goale or his Prison All the creatures are his servants even the unreasonable and senslesse creatures the fire the haile the yâ—e the snow the winds and tempests they all obey his Will and do his Commandements and no wonder they are all his the Day is his and the Night is his Hee made the Light and hee made the darknesse hee createth peace and he raiseth warre and in a word Hee made and createth all things by the Word of his Power which none can â—â—sist and therefore the very Angels in heaven adore his Majestie and the wicked spirits in hell tremble at his power His dominion reacheth as to all things so to all that is in them our dominion goeth no further then the superfice as it were of things And we have rather the use of things then the dominion but the dominion of God reacheth to their verie substance which he hath made can preserve or destroy as he will What say I of the things that are even the things that are not are only possible are subject unto him He calleth the things that are not as if they were If he should call and but speak the word they should come forth out of that darknes of nothing wherein they lurke Thus he is the supreame and the true Lord and the King before whom the glorie and Majestie of all earthly kings is but vilenes they depend from him and others as we said he depends from none they haue some subjects and riches he hath all They so rejoice in their crowne the glorie of it that still they haue their own sollicitudes and fears and therefore some haue laid down their crownes but he reigneth in all tranquillitie securitie and peace Thus yee haue shortly his Dominion and Kingdome Now let us see how the consideration of it serveth for the use of the PROPHET may serve for ours First The coÌ„sideration of this most perfect Dominion of God is a most notable comfort against the temptations that are raised in our mindes in the time of trouble and adversity when we think that God hath forsaken us hath left us as a prey to our enemies to be swallowed up by them If thou be tempted by this consider first that thou are the special as it wer the domestick servant of this King albeit all the subjects of a king be his servants and that which they have his in some sort yet he hath some speciall servants that are nearer to him and more particularlie regarded He hath particular houses and possessions and jewels and treasures of his own so it is with God They that feare him are his particular servants they are his House wherein he walketh they are his Vineyard which he hath planted and which he manureth they are his Jewels and his Peculiar Treasure as he calleth them himself so it cannot be but they are deare to him Secondly Consider that he is such a King as is both willing and able to maintaine his own Yee know that it is said in the end of the Lords praier thine is the kingdome and the power and the glorie As the kingdome is his so glorie is his whereof he is jealous aboue all things and as the glorie is his so power is his he is able to vindicate his glorie and to maintaine his servants against all that dare injure them Earthly kings somtimes forsake their servants for want of power but the power of this King is omnipotent able to secure all his friends and to subdue al his enemies If God be with us who can be against us saith the holy Apostle Although the kings of the earth would take counsell and princes would gather themselves together yet he that sitteth in heaven but laugheth at them and hath them in derision He can break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potters vessel His rod is the rod of strength he rules in the midst of his enemies and stricketh through kings in the day of his wrath Psalm 110. So then if we believe that we have such a Lord and such a king why do we fear for the terrours troubles of this world Hear what DAVID saith Psalm 99. The Lord reigneth let the people
how could he have expressed it more fully then in the termes which he hath used To the will I give the keyes of the kingdom of heaven whatsoever ye binde on earth it shall be bound in Heaven c. Whose sinnes soever ye retaine they shall be retained c. Thirdly the manner of our Saviours speech when he promised this Power which is with a serious and vehement attestation Verily I say unto you and the ceremonie used at the performance of it which was by breathing on them with these words receive the holy Ghost these circumstances I say do shew that our Saviour intended to give and did actually give a greater power then is that of declaring a thing to be which already is beside the Repentance of men is a thing which pastors cannot perfectly know and therefore they cannot certainly declare a man to be loosed from sinne For these and other reasons I make no doubt that the Power promised here by our Saviour is not barely a declarative but also an effectuall Power which worketh some effect upon men So the holy Fathers have understood this CHRISOST in his 3. book of the priesthood saith that Christ hath given to men that are upon earth a power to dispose of things that are in heaven This Power saieth he he hath not given to the angels or Aâ—changels for to whom of them hath he said to the will I give the keyes of the Kingdome of heaven and whatsoever thou shalt binde on earth c. Earthly kings sayth he have power to binde loose also but their power extendeth to the bodies of men only whereas this Power reacheth unto the soul and unto heaven That which the servant doth here beneath the LORD confirmeth above and the LORD in a manner denizeth to follow the servant the binding on earth being prior at least in order of nature to the binding in heaven and the loosing on earth being before the loosing in heaven So writting upon the 20 of S. John on these words Whose sinnes soever ye retaine they are retained he sayeth that our Saviour indued his Apostles with such a Power as a king giveth to governours under him when he giveth them power to cast into prison and to take out of it and writting upon these words To thee will I give the keyes of the Kingdome of Heaven Matth. 16. he saieth that Christ hath given to a mortall man the Power of all things that are in heaven for this cause our Saviour addeth here these words on earth whatsoever ye bind On earth To what purpose is this aded but to signifie the amplitude and greatnes of his Power and that how soever it be done by earthly men yet it shall have an authoritie force of a sentence and law in heaven as if a mighty Emperour would say to one whom he much trusted and to whom he had given a most ample commission Whatsoever thou wilt do in the remotest parts of my dominion I shall alow and ratifie it The farrer that servants are from their Masters they use to take to themselves the greater liberty and it is a token of great trust in the master when he committeth power to them in such a case Thus we see that Pastors have properly a power to binde and loose sinners let us now consider more particularly in what manner they do binde and loose and how their binding and loosing is accompanyed with binding and loosing in heaven The Bond wherewith Pastors by vertue of the keyes do binde sinners is directly and immediatly an ecclesiasticall bond exercised about sinue as it as an offence of the Church So their loosing is directly and immediatly an untying and loosing of that ecclesiasticall bond wherwith they have bound a sinner whence of necessity their binding most go before their loosing in this kinde they can loose nothing this way but that which before they have bound But how then yee will say doeth their binding or loosing reach to a mans sinne as it is an offence of God I Ans This is not but mediatly and indirectly in so farre as they do such a thing upon the doing whereof Christ hath promised to binde or loose the sinnes of a man The like we have in haptisme wherin sinne is taken away if he that is baptised put no impediment all that the minister doth is but a washing of the body and an incalling of the blessed Trinitie yet this Action as an instrument or condition carrieth with it the remission of sinne and purging of the soul So in the matter that we have in hand the pastor bindeth the person guilty with an ecclesiasticall bond directly and againe looseth that same bond by ecclesiasticall absolution or reconciliation yet by vertue of Christs promise set down in these words upon the doing of this GOD in heaven doeth binde or loose the sinnes of such a man Thus we see how God not only principally but also alone immediatly taketh away sin for the minister only performeth an ecclesiasticall action upon the doing whereof GOD by vertue of his own Promise taketh away the sinne of such a man Secondly Yee may ask wherein this ecclesiasticall bond consisteth I answer it standeth in a certaine excoÌ„munication whereby a grievous offender is separated in whole or in part from the Church of Christ and from the society of the faithfull and according the loosing opposed hereunto consisteth in the reconciliation of such an one to the Church or in giving him the peace therof whence our Saviour said in the preceeding words If he neglect to hear the Church let him be to thee as a heathen or aâ— a Publican This excoÌ„munication is of two sorts the one is called the lesser excoÌ„munication the other is called the greater In that a man is bound for some grievous offence by debarring him from the society of the faithfull in some things especially in the participation of the blessed mysteries of the body blood of out LORD and by imposing of the works of pennance and humiliation this is called a ponetentiall and medeoinall excoÌ„munication because the chief end of it is to cure him that hath sinned from that disease wherein he hath fallen This kinde of binding we use toward grievous sinners who submite themselves to the direction of the Church and in the ancient Church it was used with great vigor and severitie In the first 300 years when the devotion of Christians was fervent and their puritie great men were not ordinarly admitted to this outward repentance till for a long time with many teares and with great tokens of unfeigned forrow they had earnestly intreated to be admitted in the number of publick penitents when that was granted then they were not immediatly received to their publick repentance but were thrust down as it were first to the degree of the catechumeny or those who were yet unbaptised and did but learne the mysteries of the christian religion and in this degree they were called
is no more partaker of the intercession and prayers of the Church and of the blessings which thereby are plentifully obtained to those that are within it In a word such an one is left to himself as a wretched and forlorne creature destitute of the presence assistance and protection which God graciously giveth to his Church and to the Members thereof and wherewith he covereth it as it were as the cloud did the tabernacle and so is exposed to the will the furie of the devil as a sheep without a shepherd to the Wolf for the kingdome of the devil is especially without the Church of God There he ruleth and reigneth in the children of disobedience Hence according to the judgement of many such are said 1. Cor. 5. To be delivered over unto Satan albeit it be true also that in the Primitive Church for the greater terrour of disobedient persons who suffered themselves to bee excommunicat◠Diverse of them were given over to Satan as to an Executioner to have their bodies afflicted by him So some think that the incestuous Corinthian 1. Cor. 5. was not only excommunicated but also delivered to the Devil to be afflicted bodily and so they think also of Alexander and Hymeneus of whom S. PAUL saith 1. Tim. 1. That he had delivered them to Satan that they might learne not to blaspheme This is the most dreadfull sentence of the Church which Christ promiseth here to ratifie and confirme in heaven It were better for a man saieth Augustine in his first book against the Adversaries of the Law and Prophets and 17 Chapter that he were stoned to death or killed with the sword or torne with the teeth of beasts then to be strucken with this sentence Hee that is bound this way saith he is bound with more grievous and terrible bonds then if they were of iron and adamant The principall Intention of the Church is not to reclaime the person guilty in this Excommunication for it is exercised against such who are incorrigeable and refuse to heare the voice of the Church It is true the reclaiming of such an one is secondarlie intended for he is separate from the society of good Christiās that he may be ashamed that so he may come in end to a sense of his own sinne but the maine intention of the Church is to purge it self from such rotten and infecting Members which obstinatly go on in an evil course and there is none but may see that this proceeding is full of equity if a member of the bodie be corrupted and the rest of the bodie in danger to be infected thereby it must needs bee cut off In all well governed Cities Leprous persons those that are infected with the Plague at separated from others in a word Those that ar obstinatly disobedient and refractarie in any wel governed society or at least cast out of that society and is it not reason that they who are disobedient to the voice of the Church who are ready to infect others with an infection that tendeth to everlasting death be removed and debarred from the fellowship of the faithfull Hence yee may observe first what is the reason that we so slowly proceed to the pronouncing of this sentence of excommunication against those that are disobedient to the voice of the Church Some that have zeal but without sufficient knowledge accuse us for this as negligent or favouring the errours of those persons God knoweth we detaste their errours and that the true cause of out leasurlie proceeding is that knowledge which we have of the terrour and dreadfulnesse of this sentence A physitian will use all means to cure a diseased part of the body before he proceed to the cutting it off and when he is forced to do that he will not do it but with grief and sorrow It is reported of the Emperour Titus who was called the delight of mankinde that even at the just executions of malefactors he used to sigh and monrue Though Absolom had rebelled against his father David and would have taken from him both his crown and his life yet when his army went out against him he said Deale gently with the young man and when he heard that he was killed he cryed out O Absolom Absolom my son Absolom would God I had died for thee and yet the love of spiritual father ought to be greater toward their children then the love of any carnall father can be as CHRIS observeth Is it any wonder then that we are loath to cut any off by the terrible and dreadfull sentence of excommunication and to deliver them to Satan the enemie of mans salvation especially since we are taught by the Apostle 2. Tim. 2. That the servant of the LORD should he gentle and patient in meeknes instructing them that are contrarie minded if GOD will give them repentance to the acknowledgement of the truth that they may escape out of the snares of the devil who holdeth them captive at his will Secondly Ye may perceive hence how wofull and lamentable is the state of those persons who by their obstinate disobedience to the voice of the Church draw upon themselves this fearfull and terrible sentence It is not without cause that such are compared by an ancient writter to those that are mad Mad persons though they be most strongly bound yet they esteem nothing of their bonds for they are not sensible of their own misery so is it with those of whom I speak They contemne all that is done to them in this kinde and yet in the meane time they are bound both in earth and heaven by GOD and by man Would God that their eyes were opened that they might see the miserable estate of their own soules which are fertered with most strong chains that will draw them unto eternall condemnation Heaven and Earth may passe away but this Word of our LORD shall stand firme Whatsoever ye binde on earth shall be bound in heaven Let them not therefore flatter themselves with this that they see not now the visible judgements of God immediatly ceasing upon men and women that they see not their bodies afflicted by the devil or any such thing GOD is a Patient and Long-suffering GOD but in end recompenseth the delay of punishment with the weight of it if we despise his Goodnesse and by so doing Treasure up wrath to our selves against the day of wrath revelation of the righteous Judgement of GOD. Lastly I beseech you all to remember that it is your duty to esteeme those to be bound both by GOD and by his Servants whom we do binde by this fearfull sentence of excommunication and to carry your selves toward thē as if they wer heathens and publicane So is the Commandement of our Saviour urged againe againe by the Blessed Apostles who requireth that we withdraw our selves from such persons In the ancient Church they did so shune the company of persons excommunicat that scarce they would
abide to look upon them let be to speak with them Alace it is a pitty to see the company of excommunicat persons so much haunted as it is by some among you This is to transgresse the expresse Cōmandement of God this is to disappoint the Gracious Intention of GOD which is that such Persons may be ashamed of their sinne yea this is to confirme and barden them into their sinne to make your selves partakers thereof I beseech you therefore to esteeme such as we cast out to be indeed cast out of the society of the faithfull and unworthy with whom good Christians should converse The LORD imprint these things in our hearts and that for the merits of Christ to whom c. THE FIRST SERMON Upon the XII Chapter of LUKE Vers 15. And he said unto them Take heed and beware of covetousnesse for a mans life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth Vers 16. And he spake a parable unto them saying The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully Vers 17. And he thought within himself saying what shall I do because I have no room where to bestow my fruits Vers 18. And he said This will I do I will pull down my barns and build greater and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods THere is no time of the year wherein ye are more distracted about worldly cares then at this time To the end therefore that you exceed not due measure I thought good to present to your meditation these Words of our Saviour wherein most powerfully he diswadeth frō covetousnesse First ye have his dehortation Take heed and beware of covetousnesse Secondly it is inforced by a pregnant reason for the life of man c. Thirdly this reason is confirmed and cleared by a most divine parable where in to the life is represented the folly wickednes punishment of avarice And he spake unto them a parable saying Let us return to the dehortation And he said unto them take heed c. Before we consider the words ye are to understand that this dehortation was occasioned by the discord of two brethren of whom one came to our Saviour as ye may reade in the preceeding words desiring him to move his brother to divide the inheritance with him It was covetousnesse which made the one to retain that part of the inheritance which was not his own and which made the other to have recourse to our Saviour not for the health of his soul as he should have done but for redresse in his temporall estate It made him more mindfull of his patrimony in earth then of that which is in heaven Hence our Saviour taketh occasion to exhort him and all these that were present and in them us all to take heed and beware of covetousnesse Take heed and beware of covetousnesse This is the duty which he recommendeth That which he wils us to beware of is covetousnesse Elsewher it is called The love of money but the word used here is more large signifying a desire and seeking after that which is more then is needfull and sufficient whether in money or houses or lands c. It is a vice in defect contrary to liberality whereby a man esteemeth loveth and delighteth in earthly riches more then he ought whence he exceeds just measure in retaining or acquiring of them Thus one is guilty of this sinne 1. when against the tenth commandement he coveteth that which is not his own or against the eight commandement violently or fraudulently takes it 2. when he setteth his heart upon that which is his own placeth his delight therein or which followeth therupon niggardly tetaineth it when by justice or love or mercy he is oblidged to cōmunicat it to others This is the vice from which here our Saviour diswadeth neither sayeth he simplie Be not covetous but Take heed and beware of it Take heed fore see or consider we cannot be aware except by sound and right judgement what is good and to be desired what is necessary and what not This he will have us to consider and weigh and with all that present effect of covetousnesse among these bretheren and the like wofull effects which avarice bringeth forth This is not enough we must also beware We must carefully watch and strongly guard our hearts that this enemie get no accesse By this our LORD insinuateth two things first that covetousnesse is insidious next that it is also a pernicious evil First We must beware of it because it is an insidious evil It subtily creeps into the heart of man To this purpose it bath often the maske the appearance of vertue somtimes it seemeth to be frugality somtims justice and pretendeth titles of just and right Thus easily it prevails with our earthly minds and therefore almost there is no vice so universall it entred into the society of the holy Apostles and overthrew Judas there amongst the primitive Christians it poysoned the heart of Ananias and Saphira the courts of kings the cottages of poor men are easily tempted by it as experience teacheth Secondly It is a most pernicious evil S. PAUL 1. Tim. 6. sayeth The love of money is the roote of all evil distrustfull anxiety lying fraude perjury thift oppression discord and murther spring from it There is nothing more wicked then a covetous may sayeth the wise-man Ecclesiast 10. 9. for such an one will set his soul to sayle Ther is no law of man no law of God or nature which it will not make men to trample under foot That same Apostle sayeth It is Idolatrie It maketh a man to yeeld that honour to his gold which he oweth to GOD. That he beleeveth that he trusteth to that he delighteth in to it he offereth sacrifice upō the altar of covetousnesse Cursed is that altar sayeth CHRISOST in his 18. homile upon the epist to the Ephes The sacrifices offered upon it are the bodies and souls of men if thou go to the altars of pagan Idols thou shalt find the blood of sheep and oxen but the altar of avarice smoaketh with the blood of men There the skin is plucked from the flesh and the flesh from the bones of the Poore There their flesh is eaten and their bones brocken and choped in pieces as for the Pot. MICAH 3. 3. On this alter a man often sacrificeth himself He killeth his soul with deadly wounds and often his bodie How many hath it made to drowne or hang or steb themselves no wonder therfore that the Apostle calleth it the serving of an Idol They that serve it may say to it For thy Sake we are killed all the day as holy AUGUSTINE marketh in his 100 sermon upon the saints Besids it is a vice almost incurable The older men grow it cleaveth the faster to them when they are nearest to the earth and grave they cover often most for it and cannot be satisfied till
the seat of joy or sorrow and the fountaine of 〈…〉 He groundeth the hope of that happines which he promiseth to his soul upon this That he had much goods laid up for many years wherein he sheweth great blindnes and folly He sayeth his goods were laid up which were not yet win Secondly though they had been laid up yet erre long time he might have come to poverty as many have done from great abundance Thirdly though they had continued yet hee might have lost health without which they cannot be enjoyed Rourthly he had no assurance of life it self He thought that as his cornes were increased so his dayes years wer multiplied but indeed his life was not to endure till the gathering in of his fruits Fifthly he thought only upon this temporall life and of providing for it that he might eat drinke and be merry Here exposing his soul to the danger of eternall want and sorrow Here first observe more particularly he was deceived with the hope of long life which in like manner beguileth many Strange it is that we should be so deceived What is our life but a vapour that appeareth and incontinue evanisheth againe I am 4. 14. What is man but as a flowr that cometh forth but as a shadow that flyeth and continueth not Iob. 14. 2. The dayes of our years are but seventy and if of strength but ordinarly fourscore and very few there are that attaine to an hundreth FLEGON a curious writter after diligent search of the Roman Registers could not find so many men and women of an hundreth years of age as to fill up one leafe of paper but had he taken notice of them who had died before fifty fourty thirty or twenty he might have filled up many Volumes But put the case our Age were ten times more what is it in respect of Eternity Thou hast made mine age as an hand-breadth and it is as nothing before thee saieth DAVID Psal 39. A thousand years in thy sight are as yesterday when it is past and as a Watch is the night saieth Moses psal 90. The length of our dayes is not to be regarded and farre lesse to be expected from the abundance of these worldly things which was another errour of this Wratch MEANE-MEN live as long and many of them longer than they that have the greatest abundance Of all the Emperour 's wee reade but of foure Gordian Valerian Anastasius and Justinian who attained to eighty or some more And of these foure the first three died by a violent death Of Popes scarce foure or five have attained to that age Secondly Marke that he calleth his goods and his cornes the goods of his soule SOVLE saieth he thou hast much goods c. O foolish word saieth S. BASIL O'words of singular madnes How can that bee the good of the soule which is cast out into the draught It is but folly to think that any temporall thing can be the good of the soule These things are not simply good for if it were so they should make their Possessours good and the more we had of them the better we should be which is contrary to experience They can give directly no perfection to the soule and but little to the body They cannot simply give unto it either health or beauty or strength or perfection of Senses or length of life All their goodnesse standeth in this that they may be instruments of doing good unto them who will use thē well Riches may be indeed used as means to propagate Religion to defend the Common-wealth to promove the salvation of others and to purchase to our selves a greater degree of glory and so may be godd through the good use of them but commonly as they are evill purchased so they are evill used The mindes of men being blinded that they see not how they should be used or their affections perverted that they will not use them aright Hence at they spent in Leachery ambition or vanity They raise up in us foolish desires and are instruments and meanes to put these in execution so then they cannot be esteemed the good of the soule That is wisdome or vertus to draw neare to God as David speaketh and to be familiar with him and to see the light of his countenance here and thereafter Many say Who will shew us any good but thou O Lord lift up the light of thy Countenance for thereby saieth David thou shalt put more joy into mine heart then when their wine oyle doth abunde This is the good of Gods Chosen but these outward things are the good of them whose portion is in this World Such was the rich Glutton Luk. 16. to whom it was said by ABRAHAM My sonne remember that thou didest receive thy good things in thy life Wo to that soule which hath no other good but this We come now to the use that he intended to make of these Goods TAKE thy rest saieth he to his Soule Being secure of abundance and length of life He laboureth first of all to perswade his soule of rest contentment He thought he needed no more anxiety or solicitude to scrape together therefore now should have case and rest to his soule Foolish man as Riches are not the good of the soule so they cannot give it rest How can that which is earthly and temporall satisfy the desire of the soule which is heavenly and eternal and whose capacity is infinite He that loveth money Eccles 5. 10. shall not be satisfied with money and he that desireth abundance shall not be satisfied with increase They are so farre from giving satisfaction or rest that when multiplied they increase our trouble Riches are as it were a garment of thornes saieth CHRISOST which cease not to prick a man on every side Covetousnes saieth Pelusota in his 3. book 42 cpist is like the desire of Drunkards the more wine these drink they thirst the more so the more gold the Avaricious getteth the more he desireth Avarice saieth holy Ambrose in his 2. chap. of Naboth is a fire which is not quenched but more inflamed by gaine even as a little water cast into a furnace of fire serveth but to increase the beat of it hence ar the manifold vexations of the Wealthy their manifold distastes of that which they have seeking after that which they have not Their continuall motion sheweth that they are not at rest They are like a sick-man who turneth now to the one side and now to the other and if he lye still it is rather for unability to move then for happinesse of repose O crooked wayes of men saieth holy AUGUSTINE turne thee to thy back to thy belly to thy side thou wilt find all hard none of these things will give thee rest Woe to that bold and perverse soule that thinketh that it will get rest when it departeth from God But how thought he to have this rest by his goods This followeth Eat drink
us in it Hence our Saviour hath commanded us To watch alwayes because wee know neither the day nor the houre of our LORDS comming Every day and houre we should have our loins girded with the girdle of mortification of our affections and the torches or lamps of good works shining in our hands If thou give thy self but to folly this night what knowest thou but thy sentence shall be This night thy soul c. What assurance of thy life hast thou more then he let us learne to be wise by such examples They teach us a most profitable lecture they who have been so overtaken say to us as it were as my Judgment was so also shall it be with thee yesterday to me and the day to thee Yesterday I was where thou art I had this same thoughts of long life and happines which thou hast here and yet even then my body was condemned to the dust and my soule brought before the Tribunall of GOD to give an account and to receive the sentence of justice What knoweth thou but it shall be so with thee to day Would God wee did rightly consider this That we might number our dayes and apply our hearts to wisdome esteeming of every day as if it were our last day and doing that in it which wee would wish to bee doing if death were come Secondly he sayeth They shall require thy soul He sayeth not he shall die but That his soul shall be required or taken away The words import first that this should be done to him against his will resisting and strugling to the contrary 2. that this should not be done by chance but by justice that he might receive his sentence according to his doings 3 It is said They shall take to signifie that the devils as the executioners of GODS Justice were ready to execute vengeance upon him Here is a dreadfull sentence whereby the soul is taken away The soul the precious soul the redemption whereof ceaseth for ever The soul which is of more worth then all the world What profiteth it a man to gaine the whole world if he losse his soul The soul which is our divine part the Breath of GOD and Stamp of his Countenance The soul for which the precious Blood of Iesus was shed The soul the soile which if it were rightly manured should bring forth the fruit of immortall joy That this soul should be taken away unavoidably first to judgement thence to intollerable torment what wo and misery Hence we may perceive what sorrow and anguish was in the soul of this covetous man or in any like wretch When Belshazzar Daniel 5. 6. saw the hand-writting against him on the wall that he was numbred weighed and divided His countenance was changed his thoughts were troubled within him the joynts of his loins were loosed and his knees did smite one against another such is the anguish and the agonie of the wicked when GOD putteth forth his Finger and writteth on their body by an incurable disease that their dayes are numbred finished when he wakens their conscience writteth therin that they ar weighed and found to be light and that they must be divided from their houses lands wife children friends yea and that the soule must be divided from the body and that the one must go to be the meat of wormes the other to eternall fire If such a man look back to his life his sins which he thought evanished his negligence and coldnes in Gods service ambition covetousnesse malice whordomâ— c. rush upon him like so many furies to gnaw his conscience to rent his heart in pieces and tell him that as he hath had their sweet so must he have their bitternesse If he look before him he sees GOD ready to cast him away and to say depart from me thou cursed c. The good Angels ready to forsake him and the devils ready to snatch up his soul He seeth that within half or quarter of an houre he must change his bed it may be of repose which his children and friends stand about with a bed of fire with a company of horrible spirits with everlasting chains everlasting darknes O what unspeakable anguish is this what is there in this earth that can countervaile it It is not so with the death of the Godly Though nature in them also shune death yet grace in end prevaileth Their soule is not taken from them but they deliver it and recommend it into the hand of GOD the Father and redeemer of spirits In thy Hands I recommend my spirit for thou hast redeemed it O Lord GOD of trueth sayeth David Psal 31. 5. They are content to go out of the body as out of a prison and grave They desire to be disolved and be with Christ They depart in peace because their eyes have seen the Salvation of GOD. They count the last day of their life the first of their happinesse the birth day of eternity which shall draw aside the courtaine and make them clearly see which before they saw but obscurely They know that day shall free them of all stormes and put them betwixt the Armes of their Father And turne their trouble into rest their mourning into joy and their basnes into glory They have reason therfore to be content when it pleaseth GOD to call The LORD grant that we may live their life that so we may die their death and that for the merits of Christ c. THE FIRST SERMON Upon the VI Chapter of S. IOHN Vers 43. JESUS therefore Ansirered and said unto them murmure not among your selves Vers 44. No man can come to me except the Father which hath sent me draw him and I will raise him up at the last day OUr blessed Saviour having entred upon a most heavenly discourse concerning the Dignity of himself and the happines of them who receive Him as they ought having entred I say upon this discourse in the preceeding words He taketh occasion from the murmuring of the Jews at that which he said to prosecute this same discourse more particularly and more fully in these words that I have reade and in many after following Particularly in these words yee have to consider the occasion of this discourse which was the murmuring of the Jews insinuated there And Iesus answered unto them saying murmure not among your selves 2. Yee have an heavenly instruction given to them and to us all in them concerning the way by which we come to Him No man can come to me except the Father which hath sent me draw him 3. Yee have the happines of them who are so drawn by vertue thereof unto Christ And I will raise him up at the last day And Iesuus answered and said unto them murmure not among your selves These words insinuate as we said that the occasion of our Saviours following discourse was the murmuring of the Iews whereof yee may reade immediatly before my text
for ought I know hath had so great peace and prosperity joyned with the profession of it The second thing which I would have you to observe is that albeit the outward means are much to be esteemed yet we are to depend chiefly upon the Instruction of GOD. He is the chief Master and in respect of him none is worthy of that name call no man your master sayeth our Saviour upon earth First there is no master which hath such Wisdome and Knowledge GOD is essentially and of himself Wise He hath not had nor could not have any Teacher Counseller or Book of which he might learne His Wisdome is of himself and in himself he seeth all things that are to be done Therefore his Knowledge is unbounded and He is only Wise as the Apostle calleth him All others of themselves are ignorant their knowledge is from him hath narrow limites and hath much errour and ignorance joyned with it Whence often the doctrine of others is pernicious to them that learne of them but that which GOD teacheth is alwayes true and saving and such as may leade us to deliverance from the greatest evils and to the obtaining of our soveraigne good Secondly As God infinitely excelleth others in Wisdome so in his Ability of communicating it Put the case the knowledge of a man were never so great yet can he not make others learned except they have ingine and take paines but our heavenly Master is able to make the most rude to learne every truth that he pleaseth He is absolute LORD of our spirits and can speak in them what he pleaseth Again suppose we understand the truth yet it may be we are not moved not can be moved by the doctrine of our Master to love it but God is able to make us love what we know without force constraint yea with exceeding joy delight In a word the knowledge which we have by man iâ— dry and puffed up but that which is from God doth satiate the SOUL knowledge obtained by man reacheth to the understanding but that which is by God reacheth to the affections also That is â—peculative this is practicall effectuall That is as it were a shyning light this both shineth burneth That maketh learned but this markeâ— SAINTS It is the knowledge of salvation or the saving knowledge 〈◊〉 1. 97. And therefore should be chiefly desired Thirdly Observe that he 〈◊〉 hearing to the SOUL every one that heareth and learneth of the Father As the body hath five senses whereby it perceiveth things profitable and pleasant so the soul hath actions answerable to these senses whereby it perceiveth the things that are spirituall in scripture are called by the name of SENSES seeing hearing smelling c. We hear God inwardly when we receive his Inspirations which are words as it were whereby he speaketh inwardly to our heart This is that hearing without which the outward availeth nothing It is the Voice of God as we said that changeth the heart which softeneth the hard heart and maketh it to melt which inflameth the cold heart maketh it to burne as we reade of the two disciples going to Emaus which pacifieth the troubled heart and secleth it in tranquillity Thus God speakes somtimes to SINNERS He maketh them to hear a voice as it were behinde them saying this is the good way walk in it and yee shall find rest unto your soules but most commonly this way he speaketh to the Godly instructing comforting and exhorting them to a continuall progresse in piety 2. There is a spirituall sight while as God infuseth a clear light in our minds whereby with Moses We see him that is invisible apprehending divine mysteries more firmely clearly then we did before and in such a manner as is fit to raise up love desire and joy in our hearts for this fight the holy Apostle did pray Ephes 1. 17. 18. When he desired That GOD would give them the spirit of Wisdome and revelation in the knowledge of him that the eyes of their minde being enlightned they might see what was the hope of his Calling and the riches of the glory of his Inheritance in the saints So there is a spirituall SMELL Christ is anoynted with the oyle of gladnes above his fellowes His name is as oyntmenâ— poured forth The good oyntments of his divine Perfections and heavenly vertues send forth so sweet a savour as maketh the Spouse in the Gant to say Draw us and we will run after thee This the soul perceiveth by a spirituall kinde of smell and the feeling of it raiseth up most ardent desires and stirreth up to most earnest endevours of the things that are heavenly Like wise the soul hath a spirituall taste There is an unspeakable Sweetnet in GOD in his divine Mysteries and Obedience which may be tasted by the soul of a spirituall man O taste and see how sweet the LORD is sayeth David as if he would say If yee taste yee will know the sweetnes of his Goodnes Mercy Liberality and Power So we may say of every divine mystery Taste and see how sweet it is and of every vertue Taste see how sweet is obedience patience humility chastiry charity c. Lastly There is also a spirituall touch Hence the devote soule Cant. 2. 6. sayeth His left hand is under mine head and his right hand doeth embrace me and againe I have found him whom my soul loved I held him and would not let him go But why do I insist so much upon this first To shew the admirable Goodnes of GOD who vouchsafeth so many wayes to communicate himself to us and maketh us so many wayes able to receive him All this proceedeth meerly froÌ„ his infinite Goodnes There should be no losse to him although we should never SER his Beauty HEART his Voice SMELL the sweet Savour of his Precious Oyntments TASTE his Sweetnes or EMBRACE him in the armes of our love this should nothing impaire his Felicity which from eternity he perfectly enjoyed and might unto all eternity enjoy without our injoying of him but all this proceedeth from his admirable Goodnes which delighteth to commucat it self to his unworthy creatures Secondly I have insisted upon this at this time to move you to stirre up all the powers and faculties of your fouls to receive him who offereth himself at this time most abundantly to bee participated by us first Christ offereth himself to be seen by us in these sacred mysteries both as GOD and man Here we may see him by the eye of faith as GOD not simply as GOD but as GOD made man and as made a man of sorrowes for us and as made the bread of life unto us What a wonderfull sight is this how can the Angels of heaven but admire to see the only begotten Son of God who is in the bosome of the Father The brightnes of his Glory and the expresse Image of his person eternall and
to see men though his enemies subject to so great miseries Alacâ— then how great reason have we to mourne for these dreadfull miseries which ar like to come upon our brethren and upon our selves What other can we expect except we turne from our sinnes and except the Lord turne away his Wrath from us He hath given us the spirit of giddenes We are like men that are drunk every one rising up and ready to rush against another How dreadfull a token is this of the Wrath of God kindled against us because of our sinnes and how great reason have we to contribute our tears for the quenching of this fire Oftentimes we have foretold you that God would visit for the sinnes commitred in this land and that he would be avenged on such a nation as this Many and terrible examples also of the Iudgements of GOD ye have had before your eyes by which the Lord hath been saying to you Except yee repent ye shall all likewayes perish But notwithstanding of all this we have gone one securely in our sins How many thousands in Germany and other parts not long since have thought their feet as sure from falling as yee have thought yours their eyes have been as dry and their souls seemed to be as sure of life yet their feet have slidden their eyes have been drowned with tears their souls have tasted of DEATH The Sword of God hath devoured their flesh and is become drunke with their blood This same cup which the Lord hath given them he now presenteth to us and if we pacifie not his Wrath whether we will or not he shall force us to drinke it out Let us therefore follow the example of our Saviour When the bitter cup was presented to him for our sins he fell down and with tears of blood said Father if it be possible let this cup passe from me Let us turne to God and do in like manner Neither should we thinke it enough to mourne this day but should continue our mourning in private that if it be possible he may deliver us and our land from this great Wrath or if he have decreed otherwayes wee may at least escape his eternall indignation The Lord grant this unto us and that for the merits of Christ to whom c. Excellencie of the Psalmes 2. Excellencie of this Psame 3. Argument of it 4. Summe of the words 5. Davids applicatieÌ„ 6. Certaintiâ— of Gods favour possible 7. This gives confidence 8. Alacritie in GODS service 9. Peace in troubles 10. Gods name what 12. All Comfort in it 13 Comfort in Christs Name 14. This upholdeth us wheÌ„ other comforts faile 15. Exalting what 16. Blessing what 17. Praising what 18. God should be praised in al estats 19. The reasons God praiseth himself 2. ConsideratioÌ„ of Gods greatnesse the fountain of his praise 3. DivisioÌ„ of the words 4 Points to be considered 5. Infinitnes what 6. It is in God 7. All perfections ar in him 8. In the highest degree of perfection 9. In a most perfect unitie 10. His highnes above the creatures 11. His greatnesse is unsearchable 12 Praise due to him 13. Love the immediaet fountain of it 14. What praise proceeds from it 15. Our unduâ—ifulnes in this 16. Our heart should bee set upon him 17. Our desirs of him should bee effectuall 18. Nobilitie of GOD service 19. Reverenes in our carriage to him 20. Confideâ—â—â— in him Doct. BARON his Aâ—ath lamented 1. song of degress 2. Vnitie coÌ„mended here 3. Behold 4. Whâ—â—â— to dwell together in â—â—â—itie 5. Brethren 6. Concord good and pleasant 7. Goodnesse of it 8. Pleasantnesse of it 9. Vnitie in the church coÌ„manded 10. Fathers highlie esteemed it 11. CoÌ„cord lik an ointmeÌ„t 12. Like the dew 13. Blessing followes it 14. The portrâ—cture of it 15. we ar bene to dissentioÌ„ 16. Humility necessar 17. Meeknes necessar 18. ExhortatioÌ„ to keep our unity 1. Intention and summ of this Psalme 2. The waitting or silence of praise 3. SioÌ„ should praise 4. Sion can praise 5. Doeth praise 6. Necessitâ—â— of praise under the Law 7. Vnder the Gospel 8. A vow is a Promise 9. Made to God 10. Religious 11. willingly 12. Of a thing gracious 13. A vow of a thing not coÌ„manded 14. Not Wil-worship 15. Obliedgment to do good 16. Vows of things necessar 17. GOD honoured by vows 18. vows lawfull now 19. Vows should bee performed 20. God hears praier 21. Of all 22. Hee hath heard our prayers 23. Our duty 1. Intention division 2. GOD unchangable in his nature 3. In his Decrees 4. No chaÌ„ge in him froÌ„ his works 5. How he is said to repent 6. unchangeablnesse proper to GOD. 7 Comfort hence against troubles 8. Gods Love chaÌ„ges not from us in trouble 9. Hâ—â— Vnchangeablnes a spurr to Repentance 10. GOD the supreame Lord. 11. His dominion Vniversall 12. Comfort hence against troubles 1. reason 13. 2. reason 14. Why Hee permitteth our affliction 15. His power to convert us 1. proposition of the point intended 2 Eternitie is one with Gods essence We cannot conceive eternity but after the manner of time 3. It is unmeasurable 4. It is all at once 5. It is so of it self 6. It maketh good or evil infinitelâ—e better or worse 7. It belonges to GOD. 8. His Kingdom never began 9. It shal never end 10. The vanity of earthlie things 11. CoÌ„fort to the godly against travels 12. CoÌ„fort against troubles 13. Terrour to the wicked from eternitie 14. Tyme should not bee spent idlely 15 It should be imployed in wel-doing 1. Intention of the Prophet 2. Division 3. The first part 4. Peace sought by all 5. Out-ward peace not meaned here 6. GODS people havâ— it not alwayes 7. Dreadful state of the wicked 8. Inward peace of minde here understood 9. God alone giveth it 10. He giveth it easilie 11. Stayednes of minde referred to GOD. 12. Reference of it to the Godlie 13. Withdrawing of the heart from the creature necessarie 14. Necessitte of setling our love on GOD and submission to his wid 15. Equitie of this in respect of GOD his excellency 16. Equitie of it in respect of our profite 17. This is the way to peace 18. ContentatioÌ„ in evils prejudicial to God his Glorie and mans salvation 19. Confidence in GOD. 20. Exhortation to it Mark 14 verse 70. Luke 22. 59. Iohn 18. 26. 1. Peter speaketh to us 2. The history and order 3. Peter truly deuieth Christ 4. Branches of his sin 5. Grievousnesse of his deniall 6. his cursing 7. How grievous a sin it is 8. Grievousnesse in respect of the matter 9. In respect of the person 10. His pusillanimitie 11. His obstinacie 12. Humane weaknes 13. One sinne draweth another after it 14. Necessitie of compassion in pastors 15. Wee deny CHRIST alse 16. â—is repenâ—ance 17. Gods looking in justice 18. His Looke in mercie 19. Necessitie and power of Christs grace 20. Readinesse of it 21. Peters remembraÌ„ce 22. His
blessed as his Angels and as himself is This is our salvation and this is our last end the right way leading to it is to know GOD here to Love Him to Reverence Praise and Serve Him in holinesse without which none shall see His Face To help us forward to this end GOD hath made these inferiour creatures and hath given us the use of them They all proclaime to us the Perfection and Excellencie of their Maker and invite us to know and love Him in Whom these Perfections are infinitely greater then in them and who hath given them these Perfections more for our good then for theirs They are appointed as means to help us to serve our LORD to save out selves and that this might be done the more effectually and cheerfully He hath made so many so beautifull so admirable creatures serving not only for necessity but also for delight Hence the beauty of colours harmonie of sounds pleasantnesse of odours sweetnesse of meat and drinke softnesse of rayment plenty of fruits preciousnesse of gold silver and jewels c. All this I say is not that our hearts may go a whoring after these things but that by them we may be furthered toward our last end to wit GOD Himself This if we attaine unto happy are we We have obtained the true good in which there is no mixture of evil the perfect good in which there is no defect and in which is all perfection GOD is an Infinite Ocean of Goodnesse Able to satisfie our desires in all things In Him is infinite Light Beauty Truth Love Power Safety therefore in the possession of so infinite a good there is an unspeakable joy and perfect peace but on the contrary if we losse this true and last end we have lost all true good all joy all peace and in stead thereof incurre Damnation and Eternall Torment Hence followeth That if we would be truly wise and eschew this damnable folly we should take heed that our affection be not inordinate in any thing whether in our wealth or pleasure or health or life These things should be desired of us only so far forth as they are able to procure our salvation promove us in the way to our last end It is therfore neither health nor sicknes nor riches nor poverty nor honour nor dishonour that we should seek but that which is most fit to bring us to our true end so much of that as God knoweth to be expedient for true wisdome teacheth not to take more of the means then is convenient for the end Secondly Hence followeth that nothing in true wisdom should be extreamly shuned but that which is contrary to the obtaining of this our end That which directly crosseth it is neither sicknesse nor poverty nor basnes of birth nor disgrace nor rudnes of knowledge for a man may have all these and yet be saved but it is sinne By this directly we go out of the right way we deny GOD in effect and place our last end in some of the creatures and therefore S. PAUL sayeth That the belly of the glutton and the gold of the covetons is his GOD. So give a man all the world let the whol countrey think him the wisest man therin if he sin against God he is a foole if he have no other thing else yet if he serve him he is truly WISE Who is wise and he shall understand who is prudent and he shall know these things Hos 14. 9. But let us now come to the Sentence of GOD. This night c. He proveth his folly from the effect of it as if he would have said behold thy folly and imprudence thou thinkest to live many years to enjoy thy goods but thou shalt not live so much as to the morrow For this night c. This night This she weth that his consultation was in the night time the care of his riches bereaved him of sleep and made him anxiously to be thinking on them when he should have been at rest This is not one of the least evils of riches that the care to gather preserve and imploy them spend so much time unto us which is a thing most precious so that often they give us no leasure to naturall refreshment and farrelesse to do that which belongeth to the Service of our GOD salvation of our souls THEOPHYLAC addeth That it was sitly in the night that he had such thoughts for the desire of his riches had blinded him and had made him to be in a night of grosse darknes whence all his thoughts and consultations were but dreams of felicity Observe here how dreadfull is the Sentence of GOD against this man 1. His death is sudden even that same night It is a fearfull and dangerous thing to be taken away in a moment Iob 34. 20. To be snatched away suddenly there is none but would shune this and therefore it hath been one of the petitions of the christian Church in her service From sudden death LORD deliver us To die leasurely is more painfull indeed for the body somtimes then to be despatched suddenly but very advantagious for the soul It giveth a man time to call himself to just account of things past it giveth him leasure to censure unpartially the pleasures of sinne and vanities of this world to detaste them and to mourne for them and so to perfect repentance The Joyes of heaven have leasure also to present themselves unto our minde and thus a man by means of departing at leasure may exercise noble acts of faith love hope and patience By means of it he may also do great good to others It giveth him occasion to advise prudently of bestowing charity It giveth opportunity of giving instruction and comfort to others of prayer for them and in a word of teaching men how to die a right Thus Moses Joshâ—ah and David died and so all good men would wish to die but this was denied to this wretch he is snatched away suddenly even away that night Secondly He dies in his folly which was yet farre more fearfull If a man be in a right and wise course though death come suddenly yet it cannot prejudge his salvation but to be seized upon by death in the very hight of our folly is a very dreadfull thing The godly want not their own folly but they perceive and amend it in time This is the misery of the wicked that they perceive not their folly till they be taken in it and feele the smart of it by death and judgement This should teach us to pray to God to give us respet at death if it be his Will and howsoever that death take us not in the midst of our folly but that in respect of our prepared minds it never be sudden for this cause we should be ever on our guarde alwayes carefull to shune that folly which migh prejudge our souls if death should overtake