way and through all the surges of this present world brings us to the presence of God who is truth is self a truth which leads us to our Originall to the Rock out of which we were hewen and brings us back to our God who made us not for the vanities of this world but for himself an Art to cast down all Babells all towring and lofty imaginations which present unto us falshoods for truths appearances for realities plagues for peace which scatter and divide our soules powre them out upon variety of unlawfull objects which deceive us in the very nature and end of things For as this spirit brought life and immortality to light 2 Time 1.10 for whatsoever the prophets and great Rabbies had spoken of immortality was but darknesse in comparison of this great light so it also discovered the errors and horror of those follies which we lookt upon with love and admiration as upon heaven it self What a price doth luxury place on wealth and riches what horror on nakednesse and poverty How doth a jewell glitter in my eyes and what a slurr is there upon virtue what Glory doth the pomp of the world present and what a sad and sullen aspect hath righteousnesse How is God thrust out and every Idol every vanity made a God but the truth here which the spirit teacheth discovers all pulls off the vayle shewes us the true countenance and face of things that we may not be deceived shewes us vanity in riches folly in honour death and destruction in the pomp of this world makes poverty a blessing and misery happinesse and death it self a passage to eternity placeth God in his Throne and man where he should be at his footstoole bowing before him which is the readiest way to be lifted up unto him and to be with him for evermore In a word a truth of power to unite us to our God that brings with it the knowledge of Christ the wisdome of God which presents those precepts and doctrines which lead to happinesse a truth that goes along with us in all our wayes waits on us on our bed of sicknesse leaves us not at our death but followes us and will rise again with us unto judgement and there either acquit or condemn us either be our Judge or Advocate For if we make it our friend here it shall then look lovely on us and speak good things for us but if we despise it and put it under our basest desires and vile affections it will then fight against us and triumph over us and tread us down into the lowest pit Christ is not more gracious then this truth to them that love it but to those who will not learne shall be Tribulation and anguish the Sun turn'd into Bloud the world on fire the voyce of the Archangel the Trump of God the severe countenance of the Judge will not be more terrible then this truth to them that have despised it For Christ Jesus shall judge the secrets of the heart acquit the just condemn the impenitent according to this truth which the spirit teacheth according saith Saint Paul to my Gospel Rom. 2.16 The large extent of this lesson This is the lesson The spirit teacheth truth let us now see the extent of it which is large and universall for the spirit doth not teach us by halves doth not teach some truths and conceal others but teacheth all truth makes his disciples and followers free from all errors that are dangerous and full of saving knowledge For saving knowledge is all indeed that truth which brings me to my end is all and there is nothing more to be known I desired to know nothing but Christ and him crucified saith S. Paul 1 Cor. 2.2 here his desire hath a Non ultra this truth is all this joyns heaven and earth together God and man mortality and immortality misery and happiness in one drawes us neer unto God and makes us one with him This is the Spirits lesson Commentum Divinitatis the invention of the divine Spirit as faith is called the gift of God not onely because it is given to every believer and too many are too willing to stay till it be given but because this spirit first found out the way to save us by so weak a means as Faith And as he first found it out so he teacheth it and leaves out nothing not a tittle not an Iota which may serve to compleat perfect this Divine Science In the book of God are all our members written All the members yea and all the faculties of our soul and in his Gospel his Spirit hath framed rules and precepts to order and regulate them all in every act in every motion and inclination which if the Eye offend pluck it out if the Hand cut it off which limit the understanding to the knowledg of God which bind the will to obedience and moderate confine our Affections level our hope fix our joy stint our sorrow which frame our speech compose our gesture fashion our Apparel set and methodize our outward behaviour Instances in Scripture in every particular are many and obvious and what should I more say for the time would faile me to mention them all In a word then this truth which the spirit teacheth is fitted to the whole man fitted to every member of the body to every faculty of the soule fitted to us in every condition in every relation it will reign with thee it will serve with thee it will manage thy riches it will comfort thy poverty ascend the throne with thee and sit down with thee on the dunghill it will pray with thee it will fast with thee it will labour with thee it will rest and keep a Sabbath with thee it will govern a Church it will order thy Family it will raise a kingdome within thee it will be thy Angel to carry thee into Abrahams bosome and set a crown of glory upon thy head And is there yet any more or what need more than that which is necessary There can be but one God one Heaven one Religion one way to blessednesse and there is but one Truth and that is it which the Spirit teacheth and this runs the whole compass of it directs us not onely ad ultimum sed usque ad ultimum not onely to that which is the end but to the means to every step and passage and approch to every help and advantage towards it and so unites us to this one God gives us right to this one Heaven and brings us home to that one end for which we were made And is there yet any more Yes particular cases may be so many and various that they cannot all come within the compass of this truth which the spirit hath plainly taught 't is true but then for the most part they are cases of our own making cases which we need not make cases sometimes raised by weakness sometimes by wilfulness sometimes even by sin it self which
Truth and sollidity of the things themselves which is in Christ These three are all Et haec tria unum sunt and these Three are One I may say these Three Cautions and directions are but one at least drawn up and collected in this one which I have read unto you Three severall lines but meeting in this Center sicut accepist is walk in Christ as you have received him which is as a light from Heaven to direct us in our way that we be not taken by the deceit of Philosophy That we stoop not to the glory of Angels That we catch not at the shadow when we should lay hold on the substance In a word This keeps us close to Christ and his Doctrine which must not be mixed or blended either with the Law or Philosophy or that voluntary Humility and worshipping of Angels which is Idolatry As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord so walke in him At the very hearing of which Exhortation I know every man will say That it is good and wholsome counsell well fitted and apply'd by Saint Paul to the errors and distempers of that Church to which he writ but not so proper nor applyable to ours For so farr are we from being ensnared with Philosophy that we see too many ready to renounce both their sense and reason to be lesse then men nay to be inferior to the beasts neither to discourse nor see not to see what they see nor to know what they cannot be ignorant of that they may be Christians as if Christ came to put out our eyes and abolish our Reason And for voluntary worship there is no feare of that in them who will scarce acknowledge any Obligation and can with ease turne a Law into a Promise will that profane person ever stoop to an Angel who is thus familiar with God himself And the Law it goes for a Letter a Title and no more for Ceremonies they were but shadows but are now monsters Christ in appearance left us two and but two and some have dealt with them as they used to do with monsters exposed them to scorne and flung them out so that this Counsell now in respect of us will not appeare as an Apple of Gold with Pictures of silver Prov. 25.31 but may seem to be quite out of its place and Season But yet let us view it once again and we shall find that it is a generall Prescript looking forward and applyable to every Age of the Church an Antidote against all Errors and deviations and if we take it as we should will 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 look round upon all and either prevent or purge out all error whatsoever For though our errors be not the same with theirs yet they may proceed from the same ground and be as dangerous or worse peradventure we may bee in no danger of Philosophy but we may be of our selves and our self-love may more ensnare us then their subtilties can doe wee may be too stiff to bow to an Angel but our eyes may dazle at the Power and excellency of men and wee may be carried about from Doctrine to Doctrine from error to error with every breath of theirs as with a mighty wind and though we stand out against the Glory of an Angel yet we may fall down and miscarry by the example of a mortall man in a word we may defy all Ceremonies and yet worship our own imaginations which may be lesse significant then they Let us then as the Apostle elsewhere speaks suffer this word of Exhortation let us view and handle this Word of Life and it will present us with these two things 1. A Christian mans Duty in these words Ambulate in Christo walk in Christ Secondly The Rule by which we must regulate our motion and be directed in our walk sicu◠accepistis we must so walk in Him as we have received him which two stand in flat opposition to two maine Errors of our life For either we receive Christ and not walke in him or walke in him but not with a Sicut not as we have received him Of these in their order As you have received c. In the handling of the first we shall point and levell our discourse at these two particulars 1. Shew you That Christianity is not a lazy idle Profession a sitting still or standing a speculation but a walke 2ly Wherein this walke or motion principally consists And first we find no word so expressive no word more commonly used in holy Writ then this To walke with God Gen. 16. To walk before God Gen. 24.40 to walke by Faith 2 Cor. 5.7 To walke in good Works Ephes 2. and in divers other places For indeed in this one word in this one syllable in contained the whole matter the end and summe of all All that can be brought in to make up the perfect man in Christ Jesus For first This brings forth a Christian like a Pilgrim a Traveller forgetting what is behind and weary of the place he stands in counting those few approaches he hath made as nothing ever panting and striving gaining ground and pressing forward to a higher degree to a better place As there is motus ad perfectionem a motion to persection so there is motus in perfectione a motion and progresse even in perfection it self the good Christian being ever perfect and never perfect till he come to his journeys end Secondly It takes within its compasse all those essentiall requisites to action 1. It supposeth faculty to discover the way 2ly A power to act and move in it 3ly Will which is nothing else but principium actionis as Tert. calls the beginning of all motion the Imperiall power which as Queen commands and gives act to the understanding senses Affections and those faculties which are subject to it And besides this to walke implies those outward and adventitious helps Knowledge in the understanding and love in the Will which are as this Pilgrims staffe to guide and uphold him in his way his knowledge is as the day to him to walke as in the Day and his Love makes his journey shorter though it be through the wildernesse of this world to a City not made with hands nor seen For faculty without knowledge Hebr. 11. is like Polyphemus a body with power to move but without eye-sight to direct and therefore cannot chuse but offend and move amisse and faculty and knowledge without love and desire are but like a Body which wanting nourishment hath no sense of hunger to make it call for it and therefore cannot but bring leanness into the soul For be our naturall faculty and ability what it will yet if we know not our way we shall no more walk in it then the Traveller sound of body and limbe can goe the way aright of which he is utterly ignorant Againe be our Abilities perfect and let our knowledge be absolute yet if we want a mind and have no love if
when we awake we watch to look about and see what danger is neere when we work wee watch till our work be brought to perfection That no Trumpet scatter our Alms no Hypocrisy corrupt our Fast no unrepented sinne denie our prayers no wandring Thought defile our Chastity no false fire kindle our zeal no Lukewarmnes dead our Devotion when we strive we watch that lust which is most predominant and Faith if it be not Dead hath a restless Eye an eye that never sleeps which makes us even here on Earth like unto the Angels for so Anastasius defining an Angel calls him a reasonable Creature but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such a one as ver sleeps Corde vigila Fide vigila spe vigila charitate vigila saith St. August an active Faith a waking Heart a lively hope a spreading Charity assiduity and perseverance in the work of this Lord these make up the vigilate the watching here These are the seales Faith Hope and Charity set them on and the Watch is sure But this is to Generall To give you yet a more particular acaccount we must consider 1. That God hath made man a Judge and Lord of all his Actions and given him that freedom and Power which is Libripens emancipatià Deo Boni Tert. l. 2. cont Marcion which doth hold as it were the ballance and weigh and poyse both good and evill and may touch or strike which Scale it please that either Good shall out-weigh Evill or Evill good for man is not evill by Necessity or Chance but by his will alone See I have set before thee this Day Life and Good Death and Evill Therefore chuse Life Deut. 30.19 Secondly he hath placed an apparency of some good on that which is evill by which he may be wooed and enticed to it and an apparency of smart and evill on that which is Good Difficulty Calamity persecution by which he may be frighted from it But then thirdly he hath given him an understanding by which he may discover the horror of Evill though colour'd over and drest with the best advantage to Deceive and behold the Beauty and Glory of that which is good though it be discolour'd and defaced with the blacknesse and Darkness of this world He hath given him a Spirit Prov. 20.27 which the Wise man calls the Candle of the Lord searching the inward parts of the belly his Reason that should sway and govern all the parts of the body and faculties of the Soule by which he may see to eschew evill and chuse that which is good adhere to the Good though it distast the sense and fly from evill though it flatter it By this we discover he Enemy and by this we conquer him By this we see danger and by this we avoid it By this we see Beauty in Ashes and vanity in Glory And as other Creatures are so made and framed that without any guide or Leader without any agitation or business of the mind they turn from that which is Hurtfull and chuse that which is Agreeable with their Nature as the Cocles which saith Pliny carent omni alto sensu quam Câ—bi periculi C. 9. N. 1 Q. c. 30. have no sense at all but of their food and of Danger and naturally seek the one and fly the other So this Light this Power is set up in man which by discourse and comparing one thing with another the beginning with the end and shewes with Realities and faire Promises with bitter effects may shew him a way to escape the one and pursue life through rough and rugged wayes even through the valley of Death it self And this is it which we call vigilancy or watchfulness Attende tibi ipsi saith Moses Deut. 4.9 Tom. 1. Take heed to thy self and Basil wrote a whole Oration or Sermon on that Text and considers man as if he were nothing else but mind and soul and the Flesh were the Garment which cloth'd and coverd it and that it was compast about with Beauty and Health Sicknesse and deformity Friends and Enemies Riches and Poverty from which the mind is to guard and defend it self that neither the Gloty nor Terror of outward Objects have any power or influence on the mind to make a way through the flesh to deface and ruine it and put out its light 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Take heed to thy self prae omni custodiâ serva cor tuum Keep thy heart with Diligence ab omni cautione so 't is rendered by Mercer out of the Hebrew from every thing that is to be avoided ab omni vinculo so others from every tye or bond which may shackle or hinder thee in the performance of that Duty to which thou art obliged whether it be a chain of Gold or of Iron of pleasure or paine whether it be a fayre and well promising or a black Temptation keep it with diligence and keep it from these Incumbrances and the reason is given For out of it are the Issues of Life processiones vitarum the Issues and Proceedings of many lives for so many Conquests as we gaine over Temptations so many lively motions we feele animated and full of God which increase our Crown of joy All is comprehended in that of our Saviour Math. 26.41 Watch and pray lest you enter into Tentation If you watch not your heart will lie open and Tentations will Enter and as many Deaths will issue forth Evill Thoughts Fornications Murders Adulteries Blasphemy as so many Locusts out of the Bottomlesse Pit To watch then Philip. 2. is to fixe our mind on that which concernes our Peace To work out our Salvation with fear and trembling to perfect holiness in the Feare of God 2 Cor. 7.1 Heb. 12.28 2 ep John 8. to serve him with Reverence and Godly Feare That we lose not those things which we have wrought so that by the Apostle our Caution and watchfulness is made up of Reverence and Feare and these two are like the two Pillars in the Porch of the Temple of Solomon Jachin and Boaz. 1. of Kings and the second to establish and strengthen our Watch For this certainly must needs be a Soveraign Antidote against sinne and a forcible motive to make us look about our selves when we shall Think that our Lord is present every where and seeth and knoweth all Things when we consider him as a witness who shall be our Judge That all we doe we doe as Hilary speaks in Divinitatis sinu in his very presence and Bosome when we deceive our selves and when we deceive our brethren when we sell our Lord to our Feares or our Hopes when we betray him in our craft crucify him in our Revenge defile and spit upon him in our uncleanness we are even then in his Presence if we did firmly beleeve it we would not suffer our eyes to sleep nor our eye-lids to slumber For how carefull are we how anxious how sollicitous in our behaviour how
wealth that we may be rich takes us out the raies that we may have light takes us from our selves that we may possesse our selves bids us depart from God that we may enjoy him This is Janitrix scholae Christi faith Bernard for when we bow and lye prostrate we are let in This is as Saint John Baptist to prepare the way to make every mountain low and the rough places plaine to depresse a lofty head and sink a haughty eye and beat down a swelling heart In a word this is the best Leveller in the world and there need none but this Wee see then in what humility consists in placing us where we should be at the footstool of God admiring his majesty and abhorring themselves distrusting our selves and relying on his wisdome bowing to him when he helps us and bowing to him when he strikes us denying ourselves surrendring our selves being nothing in our selves and all things in him Which will more plainly appeare in the extent of this duty which reacheth the whole man both body and soul It was the speech of Saint Austin Domine duo creasti alterum propete alterum prope nihil Lord thou hast made two things in the world one neere unto thy self divine and celestiall the soul the other vile and sordid next to nothing the body These are the parts which constitute and make us men the subject of sinne and therefore of humility Let not sinne reign in your mortall bodies Rom. 6.12 but let humility depose and pluck it from its throne Ind delinquit homo unde constat saith Tertullian from thence sinne is from whence we are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Nazianzen with our selves we fight against our selves we carry about with us those forces which beset us we are that Army which is in battell aray against us videas concurrere Bellum Atque virum Our enemies are domestick at home within us and a tumult must be laid where first 't was raised Between them both saith the same Father Naz. orat 8. there is a kind of warlike opposition and they doe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as it were pitch their Tents one against the other when the body prevailes the soul is lost and when the body is at the lowest 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 then is the soul is high as heaven and when the soul is sick even bedrid with sinne then the body is most active as a wild Asse or wanton Heifer In both there is matter for humility to work on 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hesyc In both there are excrescences and extuberations to be lopt off and abated the body must he used as an enemy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Saint Paul I buffet it I beat it black and blew I handle it as a Rebell or profest enemy and it must be used as a servant 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I hold it in subjection like a captive like a slave after conquest And the soul to be checked contracted and depressed in it self ne in multa diffluat that it spread not nor diffuse it self on variety of objects It must not be dimidiata humilitas an humility by halves but Holocaustum a whole burnt-offering both body and soul wasting and consuming all their drosse in this Holy Conflagration I know not how good duties are either shrunk up in the conveyance not drove home by the Masters of the Assembly or else taken into pieces in the performance Doth God proclaime a Fast See the head hangs down the look is changed you may read a Famine in the countenance and yet the Fast not kept Walk humbly with him So we will he shall have our knee our look he shall see us prostrate on the ground say some who are as proud on the ground as when they stood up He shall have the heart no knee of ours say others as proud as they If we can conceive an Humiliation and draw forth its picture but in our fancy nay if we can but say It is good to be humbled it is enough though it be a lye and we speak not what we think We are most humble when we least expresse it so full of contradictions is Hypocrisie and what a huge 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and gulph is there between Hypocrisie and Humility so reaching at Impossibilities which may draw Pride and Humility together to be one and the same which yet are at greater distance one from the other then the Earth is from the Heaven And thus we divide Humility nay thus we divide our selves from our selves our soules from our bodies either our Humility is so spirituall that we cannot see it neither dropping at the eyes nor changing the countenance nor bowing the knees nor heare it in complaints and grones and roarings which were wont to be the language of humility or so corporeall that we see it all God hath his part and but a part and so hath none and then the conjecture is easie who hath it all But our selves include both neither is my Body my self nor my Soul my self but I am one made up of both the knot that tyes them both together and my Humility lasts no longer then whilst I am one of both Whilst then we are so let us give him both and first the Soule For there is no vice so dangerous or to which we are more subject then spirituall pride Other vices proceed from some defect in us or some sinfull imbecillity of nature but this many times ariseth out of our good parts Others fly from the presence of God this dares him to his face and makes even Ruine it self the Foundation of its Tabernacle Intestinum malum periculosius The more neere the evil cleaves to the soule the more dangerous it is the more inward the more fatall I may wean my self from the world and fling off vanity I may take off my soul from sensible objects I may deny my appetite I may shut up my eye I may bind my hands I may study pleasure so long till I truly understand it and know it is but madnesse and the world till I contemn it but Pride ultima exuitur is the last garment which we put off when we are naked we can keep her on and when we can be nothing we can be proud And therefore some have conceived humility to be placed in the soul as a Canopy covering and shadowing both the faculties binding and moderating the understanding and subduing the will and whilest they sit under humility they sit in state the understanding is crowned with raies and light and the will commands just things as from its Throne never imploys the eye or hand in any office for which the one should be pluckt out and the other cut off but are both in their highest exaltation being both now under the will of God Our understanding many times walks in things too high for it yet thinks she is above them and our will inclines and that too oft to things forbidden because they are so
XXX SERMONS LATELY PREACHED AT THE PARISH CHURCH Of Saint Mary Magdalen Milkstreet 〈◊〉 TO WHICH IS ANNEXED A 〈◊〉 PREACHED AT THE FUNERALL OF Sir 〈…〉 Knight Sometime Lord Mayor of the City By 〈…〉 B.D. 〈…〉 Nolo Lectorem meum mihi esse deditum Correctorem nolo sibi 〈…〉 15. Some preach Christ even of envy and strife and some also of good will 18. Notwithstanding every way whether in pretense or in truth Christ is preached and I therein doe rejoyce and will rejoyce LONDON Printed for 〈…〉 and are to be sold at his shop in Saint Dunstan's Church-yard Fleetstreet 〈…〉 TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFUL and MUCH HONOURED JOHN ROBINSON Esq Alderman of the City of LONDON SIR WHen I had yielded up my modesty or rather my consciousnesse of my too many and too great defects as a spoile to the wills and importunity of others and had hearkened to them so far as to venture and expose these Sermons and my self to censure I did then without any deliberation or study tell my self to whom they were due nor did any thought interpose it self but this one that they were not worth your eye or owning I had once resolved to have sent them naked into the world without any name before them but my own and could have been well content to have left that out also for I am not over-proud of them But then I conceived that though they could speak but little for themselves yet they might for me who dare not do so much for them and at least be as a witnesse or Manifesto of my deep apprehension of your many noble favours and great charity to me and mine when the sharpnesse of the weather and the roughnesse of the times had blown all from us and well-neer left us naked And to this end with all the heartinesse and height of thankfulnesse I here present them and humbly put them into your hands that when you turn them over you may read something besides my imperfectios even that truth which will make you happy and with it my gratitude I would not be the grave of that charity which can never dye but when we are dead will follow us and I thank God I understand a benefit and can behold it in all its circumstances and to me it appears fresher and fairer every Day putting me in mind from whence it came and by what hands it was conveyed and it fills me with Prayers and Praises and Gratulations and I blesse God and cry Grace Grace unto the hand and instrument Worthy Sir this is the fairest and best return that my poverty can make and I nothing doubt but you will look upon it as the fairest and best for this I can make and by the blessing of God you want no other I see my self deeply obliged to you and by your favour to many other Noble and Religious Gentlemen and I have but the same payment for all which I will ever pay for a thankfull man is alwaies in debt even to my last payment when I shall render up my soul to God that gave it The same God who put it into your hearts fill your hearts with that Joy which is the purchase of Charity I cannot end but with my hearty prayer to the God of blessings for a blessing on you and your whole family which is the dayly prayer of Sir Yours obliged to serve and honour you ANT. FARINDON April 20. 1657. THE PREFACE THat the way of man is not in himself Jer. 10.23 That it is not in him to direct his steps in that way which he chalks out I have found true in my self and am made an instance of it in the truest and most naturall sense of the words and that our purposes sink and faile almost as soone as they are up that in matters of this indifferency and would it were not so in those of the greatest concernment we think we resolve when we doe but think and what strength hath such a thought against a friend and Importunity I saw well enough the hazard before me which I was to run I knew there was too much of this kind of work abroad in the world already and if there were none yet there would be too much by mine I saw the roughnesse of the times and the uncertainty of the weather and what a weak and thin bottome I put out in and could not hope for that security abroad which my cell and silence will scarcely afford me I could not be ignorant how many severall winds and out of severall coasts might meet and spend themselves against me I conceived in my self that it was in vain to hope to charme the reader and to as little purpose to court him into a favourable opinion as it was for Xerxes to fetter the Hellespont or to write letters to mount Athos For after all pretenses all Apologies all insinuations he will be the same and think and judge as he please when we have said what we can All this I foresaw or thought I did and that Apologies were like complaints in this and were never welcome no not then when they were necessary which was enough one would think to have strengthened and reinforced my first thoughts and so sixed them against all other temptations all forreign assaults whatsoever But so it is I see them now shaken and turned another way even to that which I was most afraid of and must now prepare and arme my self against I that suffered my self to be perswaded into the danger have now but one task to undergoe and that is to perswade and work my self into an immoveable patience if it overtake me and to sit in silence when the noise is loudest when those hailstones of censures fly about me Yet thus much I have to say for my self that had I not placed a higher esteem on other mens judgements then mine own had I not been advised so to do by some in whose judgment I was ever willing to rest and yet sometimes affection gets over it even in the wisest and had I not been by nature of an easie and ductile disposition too apt to be drawn out at length to any purpose which hath no evil upon it by the hand and direction of those whose worth and goodnesse have wrought themselves an interest in me Had not the very name of friend been more powerfull with me then my own thoughts I who could never yet shoulder it in a throng but had rather quit my place then struggle for it who am more addicted to the forrest and retirement then to the City and noise I who have no other businesse now to do but to agree and sit down quietly with my poverty and to draw down my mind within that narrow compasse in which the iniquity of the times hath left me should not have thus taken my self from my self nor took so much paines to draw on more which though it may begin and end but in words yet words sometimes are troublesome as
peaceable meanes to bring them back bewaile our own ingratitude which raised up that power which took them from us and was the greatest strength they had and so presse forward in that open and known way which no power can block up in that obedience to the Gospel which the sword cannot reach which no violence can hinder For this alone can restore us to the favour of God and restore to us those advantages which we first abused then lost and now seek carefully as Esau did the blessing with teares In a word these helps which we would have and cannot alwaies have we may yet alwaies have in our remembrance and affection but we must not so seek after them as to drive down all before us and the Gospel it self in our motion and adventure towards them but fix our eye and desires upon that heaven which is presented to us in the way and in those divine rules of life from which no power on earth can absolve and disengage us and for the neglect of which no necessity can be brought in as an Apologie and thus blesse God in all things even in those which are gone from us and cleave fast to that which is most essentiall and necessary to the end which is out of reach and danger and which the power of darknesse it self cannot take away Third and now I am come to the foot of my account and to this all that I have to say is but what I can but say for this preface is swolne beyond that compasse which my first thoughts drew out and it is this that as I was carefull to presse those doctrines which I conceived to be most necessary so I did it without any affectation unlesse it were of plainnesse and perspicuity of which indeed I was most ambitious as knowing that the Majesty of divine truths is best seen in the stole and gravity of a matron and most times quite lost in the studied gaietry and light colours of a wanton I could have wished for the happinesse of Isidor the Philosopher of whom it vvas said that he spake not words but the very substance and essences of things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Damasc in excerptis Photi God CCXLII. that I might have displayed the glory and happinesse which is alwayes before true Piety and pointed out to Piety as with a finger shewing how it works towards it till they both meet and are made one in eternity And this I did endeavour though I come short of it to draw our in so plain and lively a character that he that runs might read it that the sight of it might ravish the Beholder and force him to a love of that which so visibly draws towards that end which hath no end even the vision of that God which is blessed for evermore We speak saith S. Paul the wisdome of God in a Mystery the hidden wisdome and the Gospel is the revelation of that Mystery Rom. 16.25 and if it be revealed it is no longer hidden if it be known as far as it is known it is not a Mystery and if it were yet a hidden Mystery it could not concern us because that can have no influence upon our will which yields no light at all to our understanding which is as a Counsellour to the will and should convey the light unto it The light is no more light to me then darknesse it self when 't is put under a bushel and Mysteries when they are hidden are to us as nothing I know now no Mysteries in Divinity for it is agreed on all hands that whatsoever is necessary to the end is perspicuous and naked to the understanding I may say Mysticall Divinity is an art of teaching nothing of moving and standing still of striving forward and winning no ground an art of filling men with thin and empty speculations in which they are lifted up aloft to strange sights and apparitions as they say witches are and as they themselves think when they do but dream sometimes it is made a vail to cover something which we would not have seen and we call that the Mysticall sense of Scripture which is none at all For men are too ready to draw a vail again over that which is now made manifest to obscure that which cannot be too plain nor made plainer then it is Quaerunt quod nusquam est inveniunt tamen the seek Pennae acumen dividitur in uo in toto corpore servata unitate credo propter mysterium Isid Orig. l. 6. c. 14. for that which is no where to be found and yet they find it out but as he found Juno vvho imbraced a cloud Whatsoever they see is a mysterie and yet they see it as Isidore found out a mysterie The Old and New Testament in the nose and cleft of a pen. I knovv there be in Scripture and frequently in the Nevv Testament many Metaphoricall expressions from Bread from Fire and Water from Sovving and Planting Quint. l. 8. instit c. 6. from Generation Adoption and the like vvhich vvere used not to make mysteries but to open them signandis rebus sub oculos subjiciendis to set a mark upon things and to declare and unfold them to the very eye that so they might enter vvith more light and ease into the mind vvhich as the Jevvish Rabbies vvere vvont to say vvas to find out the lost pearle vvith a candle of an half-peny and vvith these common and familiar resemblances to dive into the Cisterne of Truth and dravv it out Christ vvho came dovvn to teach us vvas the light of the World and vvhat he taught vvas as open as the Day to all but to those vvho loved darknesse more then light and it will shine in its full strength to all that will look up upon it to the end of the World Nor could it be his will who came to save us that his saving Truth should be shewn by half and dark lights or that Divines who call themselves his Ministers should be like those Philosophers who did Philosophiam ad syllabas vocare Senec. Epist LXXII as Seneca complains who drew Philosophy down to words and syllables so that at last it was shut up and lost in phrases and second notions and termes of Art which brought little improvement to the better part and made men rather Talkative then Wise For we may observe that the same noysome and pestilent wind which so withered Philosophy till it was shrunk up into a name being nothing but a body of words hath blown also upon Divinity and blasted that which was ordained to be the very life of our souls vvhich vvas more pure and plain when mens lives vvere so but is now sullied vvith much handling made much unlike it self dawbed over vvith glosses as vvith untempered morter vvrought out into Questions beat out into Distinctions and is made an Art vvhich is the Wisdome of God to Salvation The Schoolmen did feaze and draw it out and then made
us made like unto God exalted by his Humiliation raysed by his descent magnified by his minoration Candidati Angelorum lifted up on high to a sacred emulation of an Angelicall estate with songs of joy and Triumph we remember it and it is the joy of this Feast fratres Domini the Brethren of Christ Thus with a mutual aspect Christs humility looks upon the exaltation of our Nature and our exaltation looks back again upon Christ and as a well made picture lookes upon him that looks upon it so Christ drawn forth in the similitude of our flesh looks upon us whilst we with joy and Gratitude have our eyes set upon him They answer each other 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and are parallels Christ made like unto men and again men made like unto him so like that they are his Brethren Christ made like 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in all things will fill up the office of a Redeemer and men made like unto God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in all things which may be required at the hands of those who are Redeemed his obedience lifted him up to the crosse and ours must lift us after him and be carried on by his to the End of the world And as we find it in Relatives they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there is a kind of Convertency in these Terms Christ and his Brethren Christ like unto his Brethren and these Brethren like unto Christ Christ is ours and we are Christs saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 3. and Christ Gods And in the last place the modification the Debuit It behoved him carries our thoughts to those two common Heads or places the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Convenience and the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Necessitie of it and these two in Civil Acts are one for what becomes us to doe we must doe and t is necessary we should doe it what should be done is done and it is impossible it should be otherwise say the Civilians because the law supposeth obedience Impossibilitas juris which is the Complement and perfection of the law and this Debuit looks equally on both both on Christ and his Brethren if in all things it behoved Christ to be like unto his Brethren which is the benefit Heaven and Earth will conclude men and Angels will inferre Debemus that it behoveth us to be made like unto Christ which is the Duty My Text then is divided equally between these two Termes Christ and his Brethren That which our devotion must contemplate in Christ is First his Divine 2. his Humane Nature 3. the union of them both for 1. we cannot but make a stand and enquire quis ille who he was who ought to doe this and in the 2. place enquire of his Humane nature For we find him here flesh of our flesh and Bone of our Bone Assimilatum made like unto us what can we say more Our Apostle tells us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in all things and then will follow the union of them both exprest in this passive fieri in this his assimilation and the Assumption of our Nature which all fill us with admiration but the last rayseth it yet higher and should rayse our love to follow him in his Obedience quod debuit that it behoved him that the dispensation of so wonderfull and Catholique a benefit must be Translated tanquam ex officio as a matter of Duty The end of all is the end of all Our salvation the end of our Creation the end of our Redemption the end of this assimilation and the last end of all the glory of God which sets an oportet upon Man as well as upon Christ and then his Brethren and he will dwell together in unity Onely here is the difference our obligation is the easiest t is but this to be bound and obliged with Christ to set our hands to that bond which he hath sealed with his Bloud no heavy Debet to be like unto him and by his condescension so low to us to raise our selves neerer to him by a holy and diligent imitation of his obedience which will make up our last part and serve for application And in the first place we aske with the Prophet quis ille who is he that cometh who is he that must be made like unto us what is done and who did it of so neere a relation that we can hardly abstract the one from the other and if one eye be leveld on the fact the other commonly is fixed on the hand that did it Magnis negotiis ut magnis Comediis edecumati apponuntur actores Great Burdens require equall strength to beare them matters of moment are not for men of weak abilities and slight performance nor every Actor for all parts To lead Captivity Captive to bring prisoners to Glory to destroy Death to shut up the gates and mouth of Hell these are Magnalia wonderfull things not within the sphere of common Activity We see here many sonnes there were to be brought unto Glory at the 10. v. but in the way there stood sinne to Intercept us the feare of Death to Enthrall us and the Divell ready to devour us and we what were we Rottennesse our mother and wormes our Brethren lay us in the ballance lighter then vanity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 men fallen below the condition of men lame and impotent not able to move one step in these wayes of Glory living Dead men quis novus Hercules who will now stand up for us who will be our Captaine we may well demand quis ille who he is Some Angel we may think sent from Heaven or some great Prophet No inquest is made in this Epistle neither the Angels nor Moses returned The Angels 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in no wise Glorious Creatures indeed they are Caelestiall spirits but yet Ministring spirits in all purity serving the God of purity saith Naz not fit to intercede but ready at his Beck o Nazianz. Orat. 43. with wings indeed but not with Healing under them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but second lights too weak to enlighten so great a Darknesse their light is their Obedience and their fairest Elogium Ye Angels that doe his will they were but finite Agents and so not able to make good an infinite losse they are in their own Nature mutable and so not fit agents to settle them who were more mutable more subject to change then they not able to change our vile bodies much lesse able to change our soules which are as immortall as they but are lodgd in a Tabernacle of Flesh which will fall of it self and cannot be raised againe but by his power whom the Angels worship In prison we were and Cui Angelorum written on the doore miserable Captives so deplorably lost that the whole Hierarchie of Angels could not help us And if not the Angels not Moses sure though he were neerest to God and saw as much of his Majesty as Mortality was able to bear
cast not the least shadow for envy or detraction to walk in for amongst all the Heresies the Church was to cope withall we read of none that called his piety into question and all this propter nos for our sakes that in his Meeknesse we may shut up our Anger in his Humility abate our Pride in his Patience still and charm our Frowardnesse in his Bounty spend our selves in his Compassion and Bowels melt our stony hearts and in his perfect Obedience beat down our Rebellion not in the Cloud or in the fiery Pillar not in Darknesse and Tempest not in those wayes of his which are as hard to finde out as the passage of an arrow in the aire or a ship in the sea but in tegmine carnis as Arnobius speaks under no other Covert than that of our Flesh so like us that we may take a pattern by him This indeed may seem an indignity to God and in all ages there have been found some who have thought so not onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Heathen who in Tatianus in plain terms tel the Christians they did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 betray too great a folly in believing it but even Christians themselves and children of the Church 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Naz calls them ill lovers of Christ who did rob him with a complement and to uphold his honour did devest him of his Deity and whilest with great shew of piety and reverence they stood up to remove from God the Nature they unadvisedly put upon him the weaknesse of man drew him out to our distempers and sick constitution as if God were sicut homo as man like unto us in our worst complexion who are commonly very tender and dainty what likenesse we take and affect that similitude alone which presents us greater and fairer than we are For our pictures present not us but a better face and a more exact proportion and with it the best part of our wardrobe we are but grashoppers but would come forth and be seen taller than we are by the head and shoulders in the largenesse and height of an Anakim This opinion we have of our selves and therefore are too ready to perswade our selves that God is of our mind and that God will descend so low or take the likenesse of a mortall though he tell us so himself yet we will not believe it which is to measure out the immense goodnesse and wisdome of God by our Digite and Scantling by the imaginary line of a wanton and sick fancy to bound and limit his determinate will to teach God and put our owne shapes upon him to confine him to a Thought and then Christ hath two Persons or but one Nature a Body and not a Body is a God alone or a Man alone the whole body of Religion and our Christian Faith must shiver and flie to pieces Nos autem non sic but we have not so learned Christ not learned to abuse and violate his great love and call it good manners and then urge our fears and unprescribed and groundlesse jealousies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall his honour be the lesse because he hath laid it down for our sakes Naz. ib. shall he lose in his esteem because he fell so low for our advancement or can we be afraid of that Humility which purchased us glory and returned in triumph with the keyes of Hell and of Death He made himself a Sheepherd and laid down his life for his Sheep and shall we make that an argument that he is not a King He clothed himself with our Flesh he lights a Candle he sweeps the House descends to low Offices for our sake so far from being ashamed of our Nature that he made hast to assume it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and dost thou impute this to God No to us his Humility is as full of wonder as his Majesty Non erubescimus de Christo we are not ashamed of the man Christ expecting the leisure of nine moneths Travel passing through and enduring the loathsome Contumelies of our Nature born in a Stable cradled in a Cratch wrapped up in Clouts poor and despised non de crucifixo Christo not of our crucified Lord hanging on the Cross but wonder heighteneth our joy and joy raiseth our wonder and we cry out with S. Austin Oh prodigia oh miracula Oh prodigie oh miracle of Mercy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 oh the strangenesse of this New Birth with the Wise-wen we open our Treasuries and present him gifts and worship him as a King though we finde him in a manger And this is signum è terra a sign from the depth from the low condition of our Flesh factus similis saith the Apostle Psal 40. made like unto his Brethren corpus aptasti mihi saith he himself in the Psalm a Body hast thou prepared me so like us that the Divel himself as quick-sighted as Marcion or Manes took him for no other and was entrapped 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with the outward garment and vaile of his flesh and venturing upon him as man found him a God Naz. Or. 39. and striking at the First Adam was overcome with the Second beat down and conquered with that blow which he levelled But as he hath taken our Flesh must he take our Soul too may not his Divinity as Apollinarius fancied supply the place of our better part shall we not free him from those passions and affections which when they move and are hot within us our common Apologie is Humanum est that we are but men No to S. Hilaries Corporatio we must adde the Greeks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and if S. Hilaries incorporating of Christ will not reach home their inhumanition will 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 draw them together and unites them both both body and soul he came to save both and both he took to free the body from Corruption and the soul from Sin to refine our Drosse into Silver and our Silver into pure Gold to raise our Bodies to the Immortality of our Souls and our Souls to the purity of the Angels perfect God and perfect Man of a reasonable Soul and humane Flesh subsisting And now being made up of the same Mould and Temper having taken from man what makes and constitutes man being the same wax as it were why may he not receive the same impressions of Love and Joy Grief and Feare Anger and Compassion affectus sensualitatis even those affections which are seated in the sensitive part Behold him in the Temple with a Scourge in his Hands you will say he was angry Goe with him to Lazarus his Grave and you shall see his Sorrow dropping from his eyes Mark his eye upon Jerusalem and you shall see the very bowels of Compassion Follow him to Gethsemane and the Evanglist will tell you he began to be grievously troubled Ecce tota haec Trinitas in Domino saith Tertull. Tert. de Anim. c. 1. Behold here is
God though we were his enemies yet Love reconcileth all these seeming contradictions resolves every doubt tunes these jarring strings and out of this discord maketh that melody which delighteth both men and Angels and God himself even that melody whereof our love should be the resultance He loved us and then the Conclusion doth sweetly and naturally follow Non pepercit he spared not his owne Son but delivered him up And so from the Person we passe to the Delivery it self Tradidit non pepercit He delivered and spared him not Tradidit et non pepercit The Oeconomy and glorious dispensation of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ is here termed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a delivery and delivered he was First into the Virgins womb for that was a strange descent and even then began his passion Nasci se patitur saith Tertullian Tert. de patient he suffer'd himself to be fashion'd in the womb took of man what is proper and naturall to him to be Born and dye Here he was drawn out and fitted made an object for the malice of men and the rage of the Divell to work on here he was made a mark for his enemies to shoot at here he had a back for the whip and flesh to be ploughed a face to be spit upon a body to be nayld to the Crosse here he was built up as a Temple to be beat down again with axes and Hammers with misery and Affliction Mira traditio a strange delivery it was of the sonne of God into the womb of a Mortall yet tradidit illum he thus delivered him And being Borne what was his whole life but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a delivery of him from sorrow to sorrow from misery to misery from poverty to shame from derision to malice from malice to death this was the pomp and Ceremony with which he was brought to his Crosse and from thence to his grave Deliver me not into the hands of my enemies saith David Behold his freinds were his enemies what creature was there to whom he was not deliver'd Deliver'd to the Angels to keep him you will say in all his wayes but what need had he of an Angels assistance whose wisdome reached over all what need he an Angels tongue to comfort him who was Lord of the Angels and who with his voyce could have destroyed the Universe but now he who could turne stones into Bread who could work it out of nothing as he did in the multiplying of the loaves is content toreceive an Almes from the hand of his Minister Deliver'd to Joseph and Mary Luk. 2.51 subject to them to whom saith the Text he was obedient Deliver'd from Annas to Caiaphas from Caiaphas to Pilate from Pilate to Herod from Herod to Pilate againe and from Pilate to the Jewes to doe with him what they pleased deliver'd to all the creatures to heat and to cold to the thornes which gored him to the whip which made long furrows in his flesh to then ayles which fastned him to the speare which peirced him to the Crosse which rack'd him to the grave which swallowed him deliver'd to the Divell himself and the power of darknesse No creature from the highest to the lowest to which he was not delivered deliver'd in his body and his soule in every part of his body in those which seem'd to be free from paine his tongue which their cruelty toucht not for he that was man yet had nothing of the impatience of man complain'd of Thirst he said I thirst Deliver'd up to a quick and lively sense of paine for many times extremity of paine takes it away and it is lost in it self but here paine did quicken his sense the more he endured the more sensible he was the more he suffer'd the more feeling he had his last gasp was breathed out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with a strong loud voyce deliver'd he was to envy which deliver'd him saith the Text to treachery which betray'd him to malice which laid on sure strokes to pride which scorned him to contempt which spet upon him to all those furious passions which turne men into Divells from such a delivery we all cry Good Lord deliver us But thus deliver'd he was not onely to men but to the passions of men to the wild and brutish passions of his enemies to the rage of Devills and in the next place not onely to their passions but his own which as man he carryed about with him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 my soule is troubled John 12.27 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in an Agony Luk. 22.44 quae sentitur prius quam discitur which none can tell what it is but he that hath felt it and none ever felt such an Agony but he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he is grievously vexed Matth. 26.38 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his soule was very heavy for these severall expressions the Evangelists give us Trouble vexation an Agony heavinesse in his soule these were the bitter ingredients which fill'd up his cup so full that he made it his prayer to have it taken out of his hand the consideration of which hath induced some to conceive that the sense of his paine had so weakned his intellectuall faculties that he forgat himself non fuit haec meditata Christi oratio saith Calvin Calvin Harm◠in locum his paine was so great that it gave no time or leisure to his reason to weigh what he said which in effect is he spake he knew not what But we may truly say non fuit haec Interpretis meditata oratio this Author did not well understand nor consider what he wrote and might seeme not well to have advised with his reason that would leave wisdome it self without the use of it no question it was the language of a bleeding Heart and the resultance of his grief for grieve he did and feare and he who as God could have commanded a Legion of Angels as man had need of one to comfort him He was deliver'd up to his passions to afflict not swallow him up no disorder no jarr with reason which was still above them no sullennesse in his grief no despaire in his complaints no unreasonableness in his thoughts not a thought which did rise amisse not a word which was misplaced not a motion which was not regular he knew he was not forsaken when he asked why hast thou forsaken me the bitternesse of the cup struck him into a feare when his obedience call'd for it he prayed indeed that this cup might passe from him which was not as some think the cup of his Crosse and passion but this cup of his Agony in which prayer it is plaine he was heard for the Text tells us there stood by an Angel from God to comfort and strengthen him Luk. 22.43 For being of the same mould and temper he was willing to receive the same impressions which are so visible in man of sorrow and feare even those affections which
forsake him when he hung upon the Crosse did he not see the joy which was set before him Yes he did but not to comfort but rather torment him Altissimo Divinitatis consilio actum est ut gloria militaret in paenam saith Leo. By the counsell of the Godhead it was set down and determined that his Glory should adde to his Punishment that his Knowledge which was more clear than a Seraphins should increase his Grief his Glory his Shame his Happinesse his Misery that there should not onely be Vinegar in his Drink and Gall in his Honey and Mirrhe with his Spices but that his Drink should be Vinegar his Honey Gall and all his Spices as bitter as Mirrhe that his Flowers should be Thorns and his Triumph Shame This could sin do and can we love it This could the love and the wrath of God do his love to his Creature and his wrath against sin And what a delivery what a desertion is this which did not deprive him of strength but enfeeble him with strength which did not leave him in the dark but punish him with light what a strange delivery was that which delivered him up without comfort nay which betrayed and delivered up his comforts themselves what misery equall to that which makes Strength a Tormenter Knowledge a Vexation and makes Joy Glory a Persecution There now hangs his sacred Body on the Cross not so much afflicted with his passion as his Soul was wounded with compassion with compassion on his Mother with compassion on his Disciples with compassion on the Jewes who pierced him for whom he prayes Tantam patienteam nemo unquam perpetravit Tert. de Patientia when they mock him which did manifest his Divinity as much as his miracles with compassion on the Temple which was shortly to be levelled with the ground with compassion on all Mankind bearing the burden of all dropping his pity and his blood together upon them feeling in himself the torments of the blessed Martyrs the reproch of his Saints the wounds of every broken heart the poverty diseases afflictions of all his Brethren to the end of the world delivered to a sense of their sins who feel them not and to a sense of theirs who grone under them delivered up to all the miseries and sorrowes not onely which he then felt but which any men which all men have felt or shall feel to the time the Trump shall found and he shall come again in Glory The last delivery was of his soul which was indeed traditio an yielding it up a voluntary emission or delivering it up into his Fathers hands praevento carnificis officio saith the Father he prevents the spear and the hand of the Executioner Tert. A pol. and gives up the Ghost What should I say or where should I end who can fathome this depth The Angels stand amazed the Heavens are hung with black the Earth opens her mouth and the Grave hers and yields up her dead the veyl of the Temple rends asunder the Earth trembles and the rocks are cleft but neither Art nor Nature can reach the depth of this wisdom and love no tongue neither of the living nor of the dead neither of men or Angels are able to express it The most powerfull Eloquence is the Threnody of a broken heart for there his death speaks it self and the vertue and power of it reflects back again upon him and reacheth him at the right hand of God where his wounds are open his merits vocal interceding for us to the end of the world We have now past two steps and degrees of this scale of love with wonder and astonishment and I hope with grief and love Tradidit pro nobis For us sinners passed through a field of Blood to the top of mount Calvarie where the Son of God the Saviour of the World was nailed to the Crosse and being thus lifted up upon his Crosse he looketh down upon us to draw us after him Look then back upon him who looks upon us whom our sins have pierced and behold his blood trickling down upon us which is one ascent more and brings in the persons for whom he was delivered First for us Secondly for us all Now this pro nobis that he should be delivered for us is a contemplation full of delight and comfort but not so easie to digest for if we reflect upon our selves and there see nothing but confusion and horrour we shall soon ask our selves the question why for us why not for the lapsed Angels who fell from their estate as we did They glorious Spirits we vile Bodies they heavenly Spirits we of the earth earthly ready to sink to the earth from whence we came they immortall Spirits we as the Grasse withered before we grow yet he spared not his Son to spare us but the Angels that fell he cast into Hell and chained them up in everlasting darknesse 2 Pet. 2.4 We may think that this was munus honorarium that Christ was delivered for us for some worth or excellency in us no it was munus eleemosynarium a gift bestowed upon us in meere compassion of our wants With them he deales in rigour and relents not with us in favour and mercy and seeks after us and layes hold on us when we were gone from him as far as sin and disobedience could carry us out of his reach It was his love it was his will to doe so and in this we might rest but Divines will tell us that man was a ritter object of mercy than they quia levius est alienâ mente peccare quam propriâ because the Angels sin was more spontaneous De Angelis quibusdam suâ sponte corruptis corruptio◠gens Daemonum evasit Tert. Apol. c. 22. wrought in them by themselves man had importunam arhorem that flattering and importuning Tree and that subtill and seducing Serpent to urge and sway him from his obedience Man had a Tempter the Angels were both the temptation and tempters to themselves Man took in Death by looking abroad but the Angels by reflecting upon themselves gazed so long upon their own Beauty till they saw it changed into horrour and deformity and the offence is more pardonable where the motive is ab extrinseco from some outward assoile than where it grows up of it self Besides the Angels did not all fall but the whole lump of mankind was leavend with the same leaven and pity it may seem that so noble a Creature made up after Gods own Image should be utterly lost These reasons with others we may admit though they may seem rather to be conjectures than reasons and we have not much light in Scripture to give them a fairer appearance but the Scripture is plain that he took not the Angels Heb. 2.16 he did not lay his hands upon them to redeem them to liberty and strike off their Bonds and we must goe out of the world to find out the reason and seek
of the Pharisees believe in him we might ask Did any of his Disciples believe in him Christ himself calls them Fools and slow of heart to believe what the Prophets had foretold their Feare had sullied the evidence that they could not see it the Text sayes they forsook him and fled And the reason of this is plain For though faith be an act of the understanding yet it depends upon the will and men are incredulous not for want of those meanes which may raise a faith but for want of will to follow that light which leads unto it do not believe because they will not and so bear themselves strongly upon opinion preconceived beyond the strength of all evidence whatsoever when our affections and lusts are high and stand out against it the evidence is put by and forgot and the object which calls for our eye and faith begins to disappear and vanish and at last is nothing quot voluntates tot fides so many wills Hilary so many Creeds for there is no man that believes more than he will To make this good we may appeale to men of the slendrest observation least experience we may appeale to our very eye which cannot but see those uncertain and uneven motions in which men are carried on in the course of their life For what else is that that turnes us about like the hand of a Diall from one point to another from one perswasion to a contrary How comes it to pass that I now embrace what anon I tremble at what is the reason that our Belief shifts so many Scenes and presents it self in so many severall shapes now in the indifferency of a Laodicaean anon in the violence of a Zelot now in the gaudiness of Superstition anon in the proud scornful slovenry of factious Profaneness that they make so painfull a peregrination through so many modes and forms of Religion and at last end in Atheist what reason is there there can be none but this the prevalency and victory of our sensitive part over our reason and the mutability yea and stubbornesse of our will which cleaves to that which it will soon forsake but is strongly set against the truth which brings with it the fairest evidence but not so pleasing to the sense This is it which makes so many impressions in the mind Self-love and the love of the world these frame our Creeds these plant and build these root and pull down build up a Faith and then beat it to the ground and then set up another in its place A double-minded man saith S. James is unstable in all his wayes Remember 2 Tim. 2.8 saith S. Paul that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised up from the dead according to my Gospel that is a sure foundation for our faith to build on and there we have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fair and certain pledges of it which are as a Commentary upon ego vivo I live or as so many beams of light to make it open and manifest to every eye which give up so fair an evidence that the malice of the Jew cannot avoid it Let them say his Disciples stole him away whilest their stout watchmen slept what stole him away and whilest they slept it is a dream and yet it is not a dream it is a studied lye and doth so little shake that it confirmes our faith so transparent that through it we may behold more clearly the face of truth which never shines brighter than when a lye is drawn before it to vaile and shadow it He is not here he is risen if an Angel had not spoken it yet the Earthquake the Clothes the clothes so diligently wrapt up the Grave it self did speak it and where such strange impossibilities are brought in to colour and promote a lye they help to confute it id negant quod ostendunt they deny what they affirm and malice it self is made an argument for the truth For it we have a better verdict given by Cephas and the twelve 1 Cor. 12.15 We have a cloud of witnesses five hundred brethren at once who would not make themselves the Fathers of a lye to propagate that Gospel which either makes our yea yea and nay nay or damnes us nor did they publish it to raise themselves in wealth and honour for that teacheth them to contemn them and makes poverty a beatitude and shewes them a sword and persecution which they were sure to meet with and did afterwards in the prosecution of their office and publication of that faith nor could they take any delight in such a lye which would gather so many clouds over their heads and would at last dissolve in that bitternesse which would make life it self a punishment and at last take it away and how could they hope that men would ever believe that which themselves knew to be a lie These witnesses then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are many and beyond exception We have the blood too the testimony of the Martyrs who took their death on 't and when they could not live to publish it laid down their life and sealed it with their blood And therefore we on whom the ends of the world are come have no reason to complain of distance or that we are removed so many ages from the time wherein it was done for now Christ risen is become a more obvious object than before the diversity of mediums have increased multiplied it we see him in his word we see him through the blood of Martyrs we see him with the eye of faith Christ is risen alive secundum scripturas saith S. Paul and he repeats it twice in the same chapter Offenderunt Judaei in Christum lapidem it is S. Austins let it passe for his sake when the Jew stumbled at him he presented but the bignesse of a stone but our infidelity will find no excuse if we see him not now when he appears as visible as a mountain Vivo Vivo that is vivifico I give life saith Christ I am alive there is more in this vivo than a bare rising to life 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he liveth is as much as he giveth life there is virtue and power in his Resurrection a power to abolish Death 2 Tim. 1.10 and to bring life and immortality to light a power to raise our vile bodies and a power to raise our viler souls shall raise them nay he hath done it already conresuscitati we are risen together with him and we live with him for we cannot think that he that made such haste out of his own Grave can be willing to see us rotting in ours From this vivo it is that though we dye yet we shall live again Christs living breathes life into us and in his Resurrection he cast the modell of ours Idea est eorum quae fiunt exemplar aeternum saith Seneca and this is such a one an eternall pattern for ours Plato's Idea or common
form by which he thought all things have their existence is but a dream to this this is a true and reall an efficacious working pattern For as an Artificer hath not lost his art when he hath finished one piece no more did Christ his power when he had raised himself which as he is is everlasting and it worketh still to the end of the world perfectum est exemplar minùs perfecti that which he wrought upon himself is most exact and perfect a fit pattern of that which he means to work on us which will be like to his indeed but not so glorious And now ego vivo I live is as loud to raise our hope as the last trump will be to raise our bodies and how shall they be able to hear the sound of the trump who will not hear the voice of their Saviour ego vivo Christ life derives its vertue and influence on both on the Body with that power which is requisite to raise a body now putrified and incinerated and well near annihilated and on the Soul with such a power which is fitted to a soul which hath both understanding and will though drawn and carried away from their proper operations for which they were made we do not read of any precept to bind us or any counsel to perswade us to contribute any thing or put a hand to the resurrection of our bodies nor can there be for it will to be done whether we will or no but to awake from the pleasant sleep of sin to be renewed and raised in the inward man to die to sin and be alive to righteousness we have line upon line and precept upon precept and though this life of Christ work in us both the will and the deed yet a necessary and a law lies upon us and wo will be unto us if we work not out our salvation By his power we are raised in both but not working after the same manner there will be a change in both as the flesh at the second so the soul at this first resurrection must be reformata Angelificata must be spiritualized refined and angelified or rather Christificata if I may so speak Christified drawing in no breath but his having the same mind which was in Christ Jesus Whilst our bed is in the darkness whilst corruption is our Father and the worm our Mother and Sister we cannot be said to be risen and whilest all the alliance we have is with the world whilest it is both Father and Mother and Sister to us whilest we mind earthly things we are still in our graves nay in hell it selfe Death hath dominion over us for let us call the world what we please our Habitation our Delight our Kingdome where we would dwell for ever yet indeed it is but our Grave If we receive any influence from Christs life we shall rise fairly not with a Mouth which is a Sepulchre but with a Tongue which is our Glory not with a withered hand but with a hand stretched out to the needy not with a gadding Eye but an eye shut up by covenant not with an itching but with an obedient eare not with a heart of stone but with a heart after Gods own heart Our life saith the Apostle Colos 3.3 is hid with Christ in God and whilest we leave it there by a continuall meditation of his meritorious suffering by a serious and practicall application of his glorious Resurrection we hide it in the bosome of Majesty and no dart of Satan can reach it When we hide it in the mineralls of the earth in the love of the world he is the Prince of the world and is there to seize on it when we hide it in malicious and wanton thoughts they are his baits to catch it when we hide it in sloth and idlenesse we hide it in a grave which he digged for us we entomb our selves alive and as much as in us lies bury the Resurrection it self but when we hide it in Christ we hide it in him who carrieth healing and life in his wings when we do per Christum Deum colere worship God through Jesus Christ our Lord and put our life in his hands then the life of Christ is made manifest in our mortall flesh 2 Cor. 2.4 then we have put off the old man and in a manner put off our mortality we are candidati aeternitatis as Tertul. speaks candidates for eternity and stand for a place with Abraham and Isaac for we have the same God and he is not the God of the dead but of the living We see now what vertue and power there is in this vivo Vivo in aeternum I live for evermore in the life of Christ But we must rise yet higher even as high as eternity it self for as he lives so behold he lives for evermore a Priest for ever and a King for ever Heb. 7.16 being made not after the law of a carnall Commandement after that law which was given to men that one should succeed another but after the power of an endlesse life the Apostle calls it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a life that cannot be dissolved that cannot part from the body And thus as he lives for evermore so whatsoever issues from him is like himself everlasting the beams as lasting as the light his Word endureth for ever his Law is eternall his Intercession eternall his Punishments eternall and his Reward eternall Not a word which can fall to the ground like ours who fall after it and within a while breath out our souls as we do our words and speak no more Not lawes which are framed and set to the times and alter and change as they do and at last end with them but which shall stand fast for ever aeterae ab aeterno eternall as he is eternall he hath spoken this once and he will speak no more not an Intercession which may be silenced with power but imprinted in him and inseparable from him and so never ceasing an Intercession which omnipotency it self cannot withstand and his punishment not transitory which time may mitigate or take away but an everlasting worm not a Reward which may be snatched out of our hands but lasting as the Heavens nay as Christ himself and they who would contract and shrink it up in the one and so make a temporary perishing everlastingness which shall last as long as it lasts do stretch beyond their line which may reach the right hand as well as the left and put an end of the Reward as they would do to the Punishment for of the one as well as of the other it is said that it shall be everlasting all that flowes from him is like himself yesterday and to day and the same for ever And such an High Priest it became us to have who was to live for ever for what should we do with a mortall Saviour or what can a mortall Saviour do for us what could an arm of
ever but Christ living infuseth life into us that the bonds of Hell and of Death can no more hold us than they can him There is such a place as Hell but to the living members of Christ there is no such place for it is impossible it should hold them and you may as well place Lucifer at the right hand of God as a true Christian in Hell for how can light dewll in darknesse how can purity mix with stench how can beauty stay with horrour If Nature could forget her course and suffer contradictories to be drawn together and to be both true yet this is such a contradiction which unless Christ could die again which is impossible can never be reconciled Heaven and earth may passe away but Christ lives for evermore and the power and vertue of his life is as everlasting as everlastingnesse it self And againe There was a pale Horse Rev. 6.8 and his name that sate on him was death and he had power to kill with the sword with hunger and with the beasts of the Earth but now he doth not kill us he doth but stagger and sling us down to rise again and tread him under our feet and by the power of an everliving Saviour to be the Death of death it self Death was a king of terrors and the Feare of death made us slaves Heb. 2.15 brought us into servility and bondage all our life long made our pleasures lesse delightfull and our virtues more tedious then they are made us tremble and shrink from those Heroique undertakings for the truth of God but now they in whom Christ lives and moves and hath his Being as in his own dare look upon him in all his horror expeditum morti genus saith Tertull and are ready to meet him in his most dreadfull march with all his Army of Diseases racks and Tortures and as man before he sinned knew not what Death meant and Eve familiarly conversed with the Serpent so doe they with death and having that Image restored in them are secure and feare it not for what can this Tyrant take from them Their life that is hid with Christ in God It cannot cut them off from pleasure for their delight is in the Lord It cannot rob them of their treasure for that is laid up in heaven It can take nothing from them but what themselves have already crucified their Flesh It cannot cut off one hope one thought one purpose for all their thoughts purposes and hopes were leveld not on this but on another life And now Christ hath his keys in his hand Death is but a name it is nothing or if it be something it is such a thing that troubled S. Austin to define what it is we call it a punishment but indeed it is a benefit a favour even such a favour that Christ who is as Omnipotent as he is everlasting who can work all in all though he abolished the Law of Moses the law of Ceremonies yet would not abrogate this law by which we are bound over unto death because it is soprofitable and advantageous to us it was threatned it is now a promise or the way unto it for death it is that lets us in that which was promis'd it was an end of all it is now the beginning of all it was that which cut off life it is now that through which as through a gate we enter into it we may say it is the first point and moment of our After-eternity for t is so neer unto it that we can hardly sever them for we live or rather labour and fight and strive with the world and with life it self which is it self a temptation and whilst by the power of our everliving Christ we hold up and make good this glorious contention and fight and conquer and presse forward towards the mark either nature faileth or is prest down with violence and we dye that is our language but the spirit speaketh after another manner we sleep we are dissolved we fall in pieces our bodies from our soules and we from our miseries and Tempâ—…tions and this living everliving Christ gathers us together again breaths life and eternity unto us that we may live and reign with him for evermore And so I have viewed all the parts of the Text being the maine Articles of our faith 1. Christs death 2. his life 3. his eternall life and last of all his power of the keys his Dominion over hell and death we will but in a word fit the Ecce the behold in the Text to every part of it and set the seale to it Amen and so conclude And first we place the Ecce the behold on his death he suffer'd and dyed that he might learne to have compassion on thy miseries and on thy dust and rayse thee from both and wilt thou learne nothing from his compassion wilt thou not by him and by thy own sinnes and miseries which drew from him teares of Bloud learne to pitty thy self wilt thou still rejoyce in that iniquity which troubled his spirit which shed his bloud which he was willing should gush out of his heart so it might melt thine and work but this in thee to pitty thy self we talk of a first Conversion and a second and I know not what Cycles and Epicycles we have found out to salve our irregular motion in our wayes to blisse if we could once have compassion on our selves the work were done and when were you converted or how were you converted were no such hard questions to be answer'd for I may be sure I am converted if I be sure that I truly pitty my self shall Christ onely have compassion on thy soule But then again shall he shed his bloud for his Church that it may be one with him and at unity in it self and canst thou not drop a teare when thou seest this his body thus rent in pieces as it is at this day when thou seest the world the love of the world break in and make such havock in the Church oh 't is a sad contemplation will none but Christ weep over Jerusalem Secondly let us look upon him living and not take our eye from off him to fill and feed and delight it with the vanities of this world with that which hath neither life nor spirit with that which is so neer to nothing with that which is but an Idol Behold he liveth that which thou so dotest on hath no life nor can it prolong thy life a moment who would not cease from man whose breath is in his nostrills and then what madnesse is it to trust in that which hath no breath at all shall Christ present himself alive to us and for us and shall we lay hold of corruption rottennesse and when heaven opens it self to receive us run from it into a charnell-house and so into hell it self But then in the third place Behold he lives for evermore and let not us bound and imprison our thoughts
powerfull Lord shall be lifted up and crowned with glory and honour for evermore Which God grant c. HONI â—…T QVI MAL Y PENSE A SERMON Preached on Whitsunday JOHN 16.13 Howbeit when He the spirit of truth is come he will lead you into all truth WHen the spirit of truth is come c. and behold he is come already and the Church of Christ in all ages hath set apart this day for a memoriall of his coming a memoriall of that miraculous and unusuall sound that rushing wind those cloven tongues of fire And there is good reason for it that it should be had in everlasting remembrance For as he came then in solemn state upon the Disciples in a manner seen heard so he comes though not so visibly yet effectually to us upon whom the ends of the world are come that we may remember it though not it a mighty wind yet he rattles our hearts together though no house totter at his descent yet the foundations of our souls are shaken no fire appears yet our breasts are inflamed no cloven tongues yet our hearts are cloven asunder 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 every day to a Christian is a day of Pentecost his whole life a continued holy-day wherein the Holy Ghost descends both as an Instructer and a Comforter secretly and sweetly by his word characterizing the soul imprinting that saving knowledge which none of the Princes of this world had not forcing not drawing by violence but sweetly leading and guiding us into all truth When He the spirit of truth is come c. In which words we have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Epiphany or Apparition of the blessed Spirit as Nazianzen speaks or rather the promise of his coming and appearance and if we well weigh it there is great reason that the Spirit should have his Advent as well as Christ his that he should say Lo I come Psal 40. For in the volume of the book it is written of him that the spirit of the Lord should rest upon him Es 11.2 and I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh Joel 2.28 Christus legis Spiritus Sanctus Evangelii complementum Christs Advent for the fulfilling of the Law and the Spirits for the fulfilling and compleating of the Gospel Christs Advent to redeem the Church and the Spirits Advent to teach the Church Christ to shed his blood and the Spirit to wash and purge it in his blood Christ to pay down the ransome for us Captives and the Spirit to work off our fetters Christ to preach the acceptable year of the Lord and the Spirit to interpret it for we may soon see that the one will little availe without the other Christs Birth his Death and Passion Chists glorious Resurrection but a story in Archivis good newes sealed up a Gospel hid till the Spirit come and open it and teach us to know him Phil. 3.10 and the vertue and power of his Resurrection and make us conformable to his death This is the summe of these words and in this we shall passe by these steps or degrees First carry our thoughts to the promise of the Spirits Advent the miracle of this day cùm venerit when the spirit of truth comes in a sound to awake them in wind to move them in fire to enlighten and warm them in tongues to make them speak Secondly consider 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the work and employment of the Holy Ghost 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he shall lead you into all truth In the first we meet with 1. nomen personae if we may so speak a word pointing out to his person the demonstrative pronoune ille when he shall come 2. Nomen naturae a name expressing his nature he is a spirit of truth and then we cannot be ignorant whose spirit it is In the second we shall find Nomen officii a name of office and administration 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the word from whence comes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a leader or conducter in the way for so the Holy Ghost vouchsafed to be their leader and conducter that they might not erre but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 keep on in a strait and even course in the way And in this great office of the Holy Ghost we must first take notice of the lesson he teacheth it is Truth Secondly the large extent of this lesson 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he leads into all truth Thirdly The method and manner of his discipline which will neerly concern us to take notice of it is ductus a gentle and effectuall leading he drives us not he drawes us not by violence but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the word here he takes as it were by the hand and guides and leads us into all truth Cùm venerit ille spiritus veritatis When He the spirit of truth c. And first though we are told by some that where the article 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is added to fo there we are to understand the person of the Holy Ghost yet we rather lay hold on the pronoun 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ille when he the spirit of truth shall come he shall lead you which points out to a distinct person For if with Sabellius he had onely meant some new motion in the Disciples hearts or some effect of the Spirit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 had been enough but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He designes a certain person and ille he in Christs mouth a distinct person from himself Besides we are taught in the Schools Actiones sunt suppositorum actions and operations are of persons now in this verse Christ sayes that he shall lead them and before he shall reprove the world and in the precedent chapter he shall testifie of me which are proper and peculiar operations of the blessed Spirit and bring him in a distinct person from the Father and the Son And therefore S. Augustine rests upon this dark and generall expression The Holy Ghost communicates both of the Father and the Son is something of them both whatsoever we may call it whether we call him the Consubstantiall and Coeternall communion and friendship of the Father and the Son or with Gerson and others of the Schools Nexum Amorosum the Essentiall Love and Love-knot of the undivided Trinity But we will wave these more abstruse and deeper speculations in which if we speak not in the Spirits language we may sooner lose than profit our selves and speak more than we should whilest we are busie to raise our thoughts and words up to that which is but enough It will be safer walking below amongst those observations which as they are more familiar and easy so are they more usefull and take what oare we can find with ease than to dig deeper in this dark mine where if we walk not warily we may meet with poysonous fogs and damps instead of treasure We will therefore in the next place enquire why he is called the Spirit of Truth for divers
uno homine Syllas suisse credideris Valerius Max. l. 6. c 9. a Herod and a John Baptist a Zelot a Phinehas and an Adulterer and as the Historian said two Sylla's in one man like a play-book and a Sermon bound up together But these I told you are not true virtues but proceed many times from the same principles which their vices do for I may be a Hypocrite and a man of Belial for the same and but where Christ dwells he purgeth the whole house not one but every faculty of the soul that is the whole man as he raised not a part but all Lazarus for if any part yet favour of rottennesse and corruption we cannot say that Lazarus is risen He worketh I say an universal equal obedience which as a Circle consists in an equality of life in every respect answering to the command and working of Christ as a circle doth in every part look upon the point or Center 2. Secondly Col. 2.5 he works in us an even and constant obedience the Apostle calls it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the firmity and stedfastnesse of our faith in Christ For as the Philosoper well observes that the affections do but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lightly move us raise some motion in the minde Artic. l. 2. Ethic. c. 1.5 trouble us and vanish so that one affection many times drives out another as Amnon did Tamar our love ending in batred and our sorrow in anger and our fear in joy But from virtue we are said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be strongly disposed to be confirmed and establisht in our actions so the reason of that unevennesse that instability that inconstancy in the conversation of men that they are now loud in their Hosanna and anon a loud in their Crucifige now in Abrahams bosom and anon into Dalilahs lap now fighting anon cursing now very seraphical and anon wallowing in the mire is from this that they have no other motive no other principle then peradventure some private respect or some weak impression of some good lesson they have lately heard some faint radiations from the truth and therefore can arise no higher then the Fountain and will soon run out with it now it is not so with the true Christian in whom Christ dwelleth for he moves with the Sun which never starts out of his sphere hath Christ living in him and the power of the Gospel assisting him in every motion and so cannot have these qualms of devotion these waverings this unevenness these Cadi-surgia as the Father calls them Ephr. Sycus 1 John 3.9 1 Pet. 1.5 these risings and fallings these marches and Halts these profers and relapses because Christ is living in him because the seed of God abideth in him and he is kept by this power of Christ unto salvation Thirdly he worketh a sincere and real obedience in that heart in which he dwells and this is proper to the true Christian For the actions of an hypocrite are not natural but artificial not the actions of a living soul but like unto the motions of that Artificial body which Albertus made not proceeding from any life in them but forced as it were by certaine wheeles and Engines by love of a good Name by feare of smart or hope to bring their purposes about and thus many times he walks to his end in the habit of a Saint when no other appearance will serve but where Christ dwells there is his spirit and where his spirit is there is truth and he fashioneth and shapeth out our affections to the things themselves makes our affections such as so faire an object requires that as his promises so our affections are yea and Amen that as his reward is real so is our love to it real as the Gospel and Heaven and Christ is true so are our affections towards them hearty and sincere true as he is true and faithful as he is faithful So then to conclude this Christ dwelleth in every true Christian not as a contracted or divided Christ as the Antient Hereticks made him but dwells as the Apostle speaks fully and plentifully in him Secondly he dwells in him as Christ yesterday and to day and the same for ever not as Baal now preent with us and anon asleep Lastly he dwelleth in him not as Marcion blasphemed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in a phantasme or apparition for so he is in every hypocrite but true and perfect God by the same power his father gave him as truely dwelling in him by his virtue and efficacy as he now doth in glory in the highest Heavens And now we have seen both the parts 1. Our part to dwell in him 2. His gracious act to dwell in us let us a little look aback upon this great light and see what matter it will further afford us for our instruction And 1. we must look back upon the resemblance the two Cherubines and see how they keep their places and not turn away the face but eye each other continually and by them learn not to turn away from Christ but to look up upon the finisher of our faith as he looks upon us to dwell in him as he dwells in us which makes up our union and communion with Christ knits us together in the bond of love For as it is between Christ and his Father so it must be between us and him John 14.12 John 17. I am in the Father and the Father in me and all mine is thine and thine mine and I glorifie him and he glorifies me and that relation betwixt him and his Father is the ground and foundation of that reference that union which is between Christ and a regenerate soul and then see how it ecchos between them my beloved is mine and I am my well beloveds I know my sheep and my sheep know me they dwell in me and I in them Oh auras vices Oh happy enterchanges Oh blessed Reciprocation when Christ looks upon us in love and we look back upon him in faith working by love when he shines upon us with all his Graces and we reflect back again upon him not in his person for he needs it not being the fulnesse of him that filleth all things but upon him in our selves and searching the inward man and decking and preparing a place for him upon him in that poor Lazar in those his brethren and our brethren nay upon him even in our enemies for even in them Matt. 5.44 he is pleading for them and commanding us to love them I say unto you love your enemies Nay further yet reflect upon him in his Enemies and can Christ be in his enemies not indeed so neer as to dwell in them but so neer unto them as to call unto thee to pray for them to pity them John 10,16 to restore them for even they may be in the number of those his other sheep which he will bring into his ford Oh remember the resemblance but withal remember
the thing too and be very careful to uphold this relation this blessed reciprocation between Christ and thy soul 2. Secondly from this great sight Christ dwelling in man and man in Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 let us rouse up our selves and take courage to set a price uupon our selves as Pythagoras counselled to honour and reverence our selves to remember we are men and so have something of God in us are made partakers of the high calling in Jesus Christ and not to debase and dishonour our selves to become vile in our imaginations and place them on that which is so far below the exalted nature of man And shall I perswade you to think well of your selves I may as well make use of Logick and raise arguments to prevail with a hungry man to eat for how greedily do we suck in air and what a perfume is the death of fools in what perfection of beauty would we be seen to every man in what shape of glory would we be fixt up in their sancy what gods would we be taken for and then praise is a sweet note and we delight to heare it but what a Thunderclap is a reproach how sick are we of a reprehension what a losse is the losse of another mans thought what an Anathema is it 't is a vulgar phrase to be out of his books and yet in the midst of all disgraces and calamities when we are made the scorn of the World when fools laugh at us and drunkards sing of us nay when wisemen condemn us amongst them all there is none entertaine a viler thought of us then we do of our selves for we think our selves good for nothing but to be evil We think indeed we highly honour our selves when we tak ethe upper seat and place others at our footstool when with Herod we put on royal apparel and make us a name when men bow before us and call us their Lords we think so and this thought dishonours us degrades us from that high honour we were created to for is not the life better then meat and the body then raiment is not the soul better then all these then we honour our selves when we beat down our bodies when we beat down our mindes and make our selves equal to them of low degree then we tread the wayes of honour look towards our Original the rock out of which we were hewed are Candidates of bliss stand for a place in Heaven to sit with Abraham and Isaac in the kingdom of God Synes ep 57. For man is a creature of high descent 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an honourable creature of a noble extraction honourable no doubt for whom the Son of God was content to die onely that he might dwell in him and if Christ who knew well the worth of a soul did so honour as to unite our nature in his person and lift up himself upon his Crosse to draw our persons after him then will it necessarily follow and ingratitude it self could not deny the consequence that we also ought to honour our selves and not to fall under the vanity of the creature in a base disesteeme of our selves as if we were fit for nothing but to be fuel for hell in a word not to make that a stews of unclaenness a forge of all mischief a work-house of all iniquity which Christ did chuse to make his House to dwell in his Temple to sit in and his Heaven to reign in Oh let us remember our high extraction our heavenly calling and not thus uncover our selves be thus vile and base in the sight and presence of Christ 3. And that we may thus honour our selves our third inference shall be for caution that we do not deceive our selves and think that Christ dwells in us when we carry about us but slender evidence that we dwell in him For it is an casie matter to be deceived and we never fall with such a slide and easinesse into any errour as into that which is most dangerous and fatal to the soul In the affaires of this life Lord how cautelous are we We ask counsel we look about us we use our own eyes and we borrow other mens eyes and if we be over-reacht how discontent and crest-fallen we are as those who have been beaten in battel and have lost the day but in that which most concerns us we seek out many inventions we hearken to every false Prophet to our selves the worst counsellours that are we study to be deceived and count it a punishment to be taught And thus we see some flattering him with their lips Errantis pâ—…na est doceri Plat. some breathing forth blasphemy and yet all Christians some oppressors grinding his face some revengers piercing his sides the Sacrilegious robbing him most treading him underfoot and yet all Christians some free from gross and open yet full of speculative and secret sins of envie malice and rancour and yet Christians But not deceived Christ may dwell in us with our infirmities so they be but infirmities but not with our wilfulnesse and hypocrity he that taketh courage to venture on a sin because it is a little one makes it a great one and t is not infirmity but presumption Christ saith Saint Bernard was born indeed in a stable but not in a stie and will bear with something that savours of the man of the brutish part of the man but not with those foul pollutions those wilful abominations not with those sins which lay waste the conscience and devour all that better part all that is spirit within us He is indeed a House a Sanctuary for every troubled soul but not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a common receptacle for all offenders as Celsus bitterly urged against Christ in Origen not a companion for theeves and harlots but a Physitian to heal them not a House for every theefe to lurk in nor a Temple for Satyrs and prophane persons to dance in If we dwell in Christ we dwell in a Lamb which we cannot do with so much of the Lyon and Viper so much rage so much malice and venom within us Last of all some there be and that not a few who think they dwell in Christ when they joyn themselves to such a Church such a company such a Congregation think themselves in the Habitations of peace when they are in the tents of Keâ—ar of bloacknesse and darknesse and this is the great errour of those of the Church of Rome which draws with it all the rest bears a train like the red Dragons tail in the Revealtion which swept down a third part of the stars and cast them to the earth For doth she not in a manner tell us that within her Territories we are safe upon what tearms soever we stand with Christ and though we dwell in Christ that is perform all Christian duties yet if we dwell not in her be not incorporated with her our faith our hope all our endeavours are in vain and
Turn of the outward man as well as the inward of his deportment and behaviour of every motion and of every gesture but the principal and main Turn is of the will from that which is not worth a look or a thought to that which is desirable in it self and doth alone perfect and in a manner glorifie it in its approximation and union with the will of God we may say of it as Tertullian doth of the soul it self it is Totum hominis Tert de Testim animae c. 1. toto homine majus quid it is as the whole man and something greater then the whole like that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Saint James the rudder and helm by which all the other powers and faculties of the soul c. 3.4 and every member of the body are turned about when they are driven as it were of fierce windes and bindes them to those objects for which they were especially made and in which they may rest as in a Haven This is the true turn but this it self hath been turned the convertimini turned about by the winde of several fancies Take Origens conceit That all things shall returne back into God as all things flowed from from him at the first and then this Turne may seem to reach home to the very devils themselves Take the Novatian strictness and severity and it will not reach so far as men Some we see stand much upon an outward visible Turn upon the Ceremony and pomp of Repentance and so have turned and changed that name and call'd it penance others have brought in Cervam pro Iphigeniâ a beast instead of a Virgin the turn of an erring soul that will erre more and more or rather Exanguem penitentiam an invisible turn or a turn in a picture a forced sigh a seeming displacency Open or private confession a very thought for Repentance Some again extend Repentance ad praeterita and make it reflect onely upon sins past and so leave us in the very point of turning turning from our evil wayes but not unto God which is an act they say not of Repentance but of spiritual wisdom and so do tuditare negotia in Lucretius his phrase beat out work where there is none and make a businesse and noise where they need not For what turn is that which leaves us where we were what repentance is that for which we are not the better or can we say the evil man is changed that is not good that the angry man is changed who is not meek or the proud chang'd who will not make themselves equal to them of the lowest degree But thus the convertimini hath been turned about from the streets to the Temple from the Temple to the closet from confession to a sigh from the eye and tongue to the heart from the heart to the eye and tongue and almost lost in the dispute Repentance is brought forth and presented now in this dresse now in that you might think she were turned wanton but few entertain her in her own shape in that Matron-like deportment and severity which alwayes attends her or if they admit her with a whip 't is such a one as ploweth the back but not toucheth the soul the Doctrine of Repentance hath filled many Volumes but the true practice of it may be comprized in a manual And yet to settle the turn upon its proper hinge that it may turn to the rights as we say in this great disagreement every party speaks some truth and for ought appears may subscribe one to the other and the turn is safe amongst them for that none denie Must I confesse my sins the Protestant affirmes it must I renounce my sins the Papist dares not denie it must I leave my sins it is true but it is not enough to make up the turn for I may forbear the act and yet cleave to the sin I may be an Adulterer and not touch a woman and remain in the stews when I am gone out of it Must I beat down my body and fast and pray and for a time denie my self that which is lawful and which the Giver of every good gift hath put into my hands This is a penance which the Protestant will allow and must I crucifie my lust and unruly affections this sounds as loud and is as much cryed up at Rome as at Geneva Publick Repentance hath the advantage of Antiquity whose practice some have thought the best Commentary on the Scripture and the inward Turn is so necessary that even they commend and require it who are setled on their lees Contrition is necessary and new life is necessary to Turn from our evil wayes is necessary and to turn to God is necessary to abstain from evil is necessary and to do good is necessary so that out of these several characters we may draw out the true definition of Repentance as the Ancients are said out of the several writings of the Heathen Philosophers to have made up a compleat body of the practick part of Christian Philosophy You will say they make Repentance a Sacrament an error indeed but not so bold and pressing on the foundation as many other errours of that Church are yet though it be not a Sacrament let ours be visible let our confession be so hearty that our absolution may be sealed in Heaven 2 Cor. 7.11 But then they bring in satisfaction 't is true they do and in another dresse then that in which the Ancients shewed her even satisfaction of condignity There is no reason we should think so yet let our indignation our revenge our zeal be such as if we meant not onely to Deprecate but if it were possible to satisfie each party may make this use of one anothers conceptions even of errour it self to the advantage of the truth and make that which seems an argument against him a remedy and so fill up the Convertimini our Turn in every part God forbid we should be of the same opinion in the one and 't will be our greatest happinesse to joyn together and yet in a holy emulation contend who shall make the fairest progresse in the other If others Plut. in vitâ Arist as it was observed of those Governours wo ruled in Athens before Aristides bring in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 much ridioulous unnecessary stuff as they did build Galleries erect statues hang up pictures and the like let us with good Aristides 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bend the whole course of our policy to the raising up of virtue righteousness let us bring in such a Repentance make such a turn which may bring us forward towards happinesse by our bringing forth fruits worthy Amendment of life Then shall the ceremonious part advance the thing it self and the substance cast a lustre back again upon the ceremony then shall our verbal confession be made visible and our turn will shew that it was more then a voice Then when we thus end our fast
built up his assurance as strong as he can yet thinks himself not sure enough but seeks for further assurance and fortify's it with his Feare and assiduous diligence that it may stand fast for ever whereas we see too many draw out their owne Assurance and seale it up with unclean Hands with wicked hands with hands full of Blood We have read of some in the dayes of our Fore-fathers and have heard of others in our own and no doubt many there have been of whom we never heard whose Conversation was such as became the Gospel of Christ and yet have felt that hell within themselves which they could not discover to others but by gastly looks Out-cryes and deep Groanes and loud complaints to them who were neere them That Hell it self could not be worse nor had more Torments then they felt And these may seem to be breath'd forth not from a broken but a perishing heart to be the very Dialect of Despaire and indeed so they are for Despaire in the worst acception cannot sink us lower then hell But yet we cannot we may not be of their opinion and think what they say that they are cast out of Gods sight No God sees them looks upon them with an Eye full of compassion and most times sends an Angel to them in this their Agony as he did unto Christ a message of Comfort to rowse them up but if their tendernesse should yet raise doubts and draw the cloud still over them we have reason to think and who dares say the contrary that the hand of Mercy may even through this cloud receive them to that Sabbath and rest which remaines for the people of God I speak of men who have been severe to themselves and watchfull in this their Warfare full of good works and continued in them and who have many times when they were even at the gates of heaven and neere unto happinesse these Terrors and affrightments who are full of Charity and therefore cannot be destitute of hope although their owne sad apprehensions and the breathings of a Tender Conscience have made the operation of it lesse sensible and their hope be not like Aarons rod cut off dryed up and utterly dead but rather like a tree in Winter in which there is life and faculty yet the absence of the Sun or the cold benumming it suffers no force of life to worke but when that draws neere and yeelds its warmth and Influence it will bud and blossome and bring forth fruit and leafe together The Case then of every man that Despaires is not desperate but we must consider dispair in its Causes which produce and work it If it be exhal'd and drawn up out of our corrupt works and a polluted Conscience the streame of it is poysonous and deleteriall the very smoake of the bottomlesse pit but if it proceed from the distemper of the body which seises upon one as well as another or a weakness of Judgement which befalls many who may be weak and yet Pious or an excessive sollicitude and tendernesse of soul which is not so common we cannot think it can have that force and malignity as to pull him back who is now thus striving to enter in at the narrow gate or to cut him off from salvation who hath wrought it out with Feare and trembling At the Day of Judgement the Question will be not what was our Opinion and conceit of our selves but what our conversation was and what we thought of our Estate but what we did to raise it not of our fancied application of the Promises but whether we have performed the Condition For then the Promises will apply themselves God hath promised and he will make it good we shall not be askt what we thought but what we did for how many have thought themselves sure who never came to the knowledge of their Error till it was too late How many have called themselves Saints who have now their portion with Hypocrites How many have fancied themselves into Heaven whose wilfull disobedience carried them another way on the other side how many have beleeved and yet doubted how many have been synceere in the wayes of Righteousnesse and yet drooped How many have fainted even in their Savours Armes when his Mercies did compassed them in on every side how many have been in he greatest Agony when they were neerest to their Exaltation How many have condemned themselves to hell who now sit crowned in the highest Heavens I know nothing by my self 2 Cor. 4.4 saith Saint Paul yet am not thereby Justified Hoc dicit Dialogo adv Pelagium ne forte quid per ignorantiam deliquisset saith Saint Hierom though he knew nothing yet something he might have done amisse which he did not know and though our Conscience accuse us not of greater crimes yet our Conscience may tell us we may have committed many sins of which she could give us no Information and this may cast a mist about him who walketh as in the Day In a word a man may doubt and yet be saved and a man may assure himself and yer perish a man may have a groundless Hope and a man may have a groundlesse Feare and when we see two thus contrarily Elemented the one drooping the other cheerfull the one rejoycing in the Lord whom he offends the other trembling before him whom he loves we may be ready to pitty the one and blesse the Condition of the other cast away the Elect and chuse the Reprobate and therefore we must not be too rash to Judge but leave the Judgement to him who is Judge both of the quick and dead and will neither condemne the Innocent for his Feare or justifie the man that goes on in his sinne for his Assurance Take Comfort then thou disconsolate soule which art strucken down into the place of Draggons and art in this terror and anguish of heart This feare to thine is but a cloud and it will drop down and distill in Blessings upon thy head This Agony will bring down an Angel This sorrow will be turned into joy and this Doubt answered this despaire vanish that Hope may take its proper place againe the Heart of a poenitent Thy Feare is better then other mens confidence thy anxiety more Comsortable then their security Thy doubting more favoured then their assurance Timor tuus securitas tua thy feare of Death will end in the firme expectation of Eternall life Though thou art tost on a Tumultuous Sea thy Mast spent and thy Tackling torne yet thou shalt at last strike in to shore when these proud Saylors shall shipwrack in a Calme Misinterpret not this thy dejection of Spirit thy sad and pensive Thoughts nor seek too suddenly to remove them an afflicted Conscience in the time of health is the most hopefull and Soveraigne Physick that is thy feare of Death is a certaine Symptome and infallible signe of life there is no Horror of the Grave to him that lies
For as the Philosopher well tells us that we are not onely beholding to those who accurately handled the points and conclusions in Philosophy but to those also and even to Poets 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who did light upon them by chance and but glaunce upon them by allusion so may we receive instruction even from these Hypocrites who did repent tanquam aliud agentes so slightly as if they had some other matter in hand We must fast and put on sackcloth with Ahab we must hear the word with Herod we must beg the prayers of the Church with Simon Magus but finding we are yet short of a true turn we must presse forward and exactly make up this divine science that our turn may be real and in good earnest that it may be finished after his form who calls so loud after us that it may be brought about and approved to him in all sincerity and truth Thus much of the second property of Repentance The third property of our Turn It must be total and Vniversal The third is it must be poenitentia plena a total and Universal conversion a turn from all our evil wayes For if it be not total and Universal it is not true A great errour there is in our lives and the greatest part of mankinde are taken pleased and lost in it to argue and conclude à parte ad totum to take the part for the whole and from the slight forbearance of some one unlawful act from the superficial performance of some particular duty to infer and vainly arrogate to themselves a hatred to all and an universal obedience as if what Tiberius the Emperor was wont to say of his Half-eaten-meats were true of our divided our parcel and curtail'd Repentance Suet. Tiber. Cas cap. 34. Omnia eadem habere quae totum every part of it every motion and inclination to newnesse of life had as much in it as the whole body and compasse of our Obedience and there were that mutual agreement and sympathy of duties in a Christian as Physitians say there are of the parts of a living Creature the same sapor and taste in a disposition to Goodness as in a Habit of goodness The same Heat and Heartiness in a Thought as in a constant and earnest perseverance in a velleity as much activity as in a will as much in a Pharisees pale countenance as in Saint Pauls severe discipline Hippocrat de locis in Homine and mortification and as Hippocrates speaks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the least performance all the parts of our obedience in a meer approbation a desire in a desire a will in a leaving one evil way a turning rom all and cutting off but one limb or part the utter destruction of the whole body of sinne And therefore as if God did look down from Heaven and from thence behold the children of men and then saw how we turn'd oen from luxury to covertousnesse another from superstition to prophanesse a third from Idols to sacriledge as if he beheld us turning from one sin to another or from some great sin not another from our scandalous and not from our more Domestick Retired and speculative sins he sends forth his voice and that a mighty voice turn ye turn ye not from one by-path to another not from one sin and not another but turn ye turn ye that you need turn no more turn ye from all your evil wayes Curt. l. 6. c. 3. In corporibus aequis nihil nociturum medici relinquunt Physitians purge out all noxious humours from sick and crazy bodies and so doth our great physitian of soules sanctifie and cleanse them that he may present them to himself not having spot or wrinckle Eph. 5.26,27 or any such thing that they may be Hely and without Blemish For to turn from one sin to another from prodigality to sorditude and love of the world from extreme to extreme is to flee from a Lion to meet a Bear 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 extremities are equalities Amos 5.19 though they are extremes and distant yet in this they agree that they are extreames and though our evil wayes be never so far asunder yet in this they meet that they are evil Superstition dotes prophanesse is mad covetousnesse gathers all prodigality scatters all rash anger destroyes the innocent soolish compassion spares the guilty We need not ask which is worst when both are evil for sin and destruction lie at the door of the one as well as of the other To despise prophesying and to hear a Sermon as I would a song not to hear and to do nothng else but hear to worship the walls and to beat down a Church to be superstituious and to be prophane are extremes which we must equally turn from down with superstition on the one side and down with prophanesse on the other down with it even to the ground Because some are bad let not us be worse and make their sin a motive and inducement to us to run upon a greater because some talk of merits be afraid of good works because they vow chastity pollute our selves because they vow poverty make hast to be rich because they vow obedience speak evil of Dignities It is good to shun one rock but there is as great danger if we dash upon another Superstition hath devoured many but prophanesse is a gulph which hath swallowed up more Phod cod 77 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Photius in his censure of Theodorus Antiochenus for that which is opposite to that which is worst is not good for one evil stands in opposition to another and both at their several distance are contrary to that which is good nor can I hope to expitate one sin with another to make amends for my Oppression with my wasteful expences to satisfie for bowing to an Idol by robbing a Church for contemning a Priest by hearing a Sermon for standing in the way of sinners by running into a conventicle for I am still in the seat of the scornful this were first to make our selves worthy of death and then to run to Rome or Geneva for sanctuary first to be villaines and men of Belial and at last turn Papists or Schismaticks in both we are what we should not be nor are our sins lost in a faction this were nothing else but to think to remove one disease with another and to cure the cramp with a Fever Turn ye turn ye whither should we turn but to God In hoc motu convertit se anime adunitatem et identitatem in this motion of turning Gerson the soul strives forward through the vanities of the world through all extreames through all that is evil though the branches of it look contrary wayes to unity and Identity to that good which is ever like it self the same in every part of it and is never contrary to it self strives forward to be one with God as God is one in us and as he
such a sin when he that commits it wonders as much that he should fall into the Contrary For the Enemy applies himself to every Humour and Temper and having found where every man lies open to invasion there strives to make his Battery where every man is most assaultable and there enters with such forces which we are ready to obey with a sword which the Revenger will snatch at with Riches which the Covetous will digge for with a dish of dainties which the Glutton will greedily devour and what bait soever we taste of we are in his Snare he hath his severall Darts and if any one pierce the heart he is a Conqueror For he knows the wages of any one sinne unrepented is death We are indeed too ready to flatter and comfort our selves in that sinne which best complies with our Humour ever more to favour and Pardon our selves in some sinne or other and to make our obedience to one precept an Advocate to plead for us and hold us up in the breach of another I am not as other men are there are more Pharisees then one that have spoke it Some sinne or other there is either of Profit or pleasure or the like to which by Complexion we are inclin'd which we too oft dispense with as willing it should stay with us as Austin confesses of himself that when he prayed against Lust he was not very willing to be heard or that God should too soon divorce him from his beloved sinne At the same time we would be Good and yet evill we would partake of life and yet joyne with that which tends unto death we would be converts and yet wantons we would Turne from one sin and yet cleave fast to another Oh let me Hugg my Mammon saith the Miser and I le defy lust let me take my fill of love saith the wanton and I le spurn at Wealth Let me wash my feet in the blood of my enemies saith the Revenger and all other pleasure I shall look upon and loath I will fast and pray saith the Ambitious so they may be wings to carry me to the highest place where I had rather be then in heaven it self Every man may be induced to abstaine from those sinnes which either hinder not or promote that to which he is carried by the swindge of this naturall Temper and disposition And as every Nation in the times of Darkness had its severall God which they worshipt and neglected others so every man almost hath his beloved sinne which he cleaves to and rather then he will Turne from it will fling off all respect and familiarity to the rest will abstaine from evill in this kind so he may take in the other which is pleasant to him will be for God so he may be for Baal too will not Touch so he may Tast will not look on this forbidden Tree so he may pluck and Tast of the other And this is to sport and please our selves in that evill way which leads to Death For what though I scape the Lion if the Beare teare me in peeces what is it to leane our hand and rest upon the forbearance of some sinnes if a Serpent bite us what is it to Turne from many sinnes and yet be too familiar with that which will destroy us Saul wee know spared many of the Amalekites when Gods command was to put all to the sword and the event was he spared one too many for one of them was his Executioner God bids us destroy the whole Body of finne to leave no sinne reigning in our mortall Bodies and if we favour and spare but one that one if we Turne not from it will be strong enough to Turne us to Destruction For againe It is Obedience onely that commends us to God and that as exact and perfect as the equity of the Gospel requires and so every degree of sinne is rebellion God requires totam voluntatem the whole will for indeed where it is not whole it is not at all it is not a will and integram poenitentiam a solid entire universall Conversion True Obedience saith Luther non transit in genus deliberativum doth not demurr and deliberate I may add non transit in genus judiciale doth not take upon it self to determine which Commandement is to be kept and which may be omitted what in it is to be done and what is to be left undone For as our Faith is imperfect if it be not equall to that Truth which is revealed so is our obedience imperfect when 't is not equall to the command and both are unavailable because in the one we stick at some part of the Truth reveal'd and in the other come short of the command and so in the one distrust God in the other oppose him what is a sigh if my murmuring drown it what is my Devotion if my Impatience chill it what is my Liberality if my uncleanness defile it what are my Prayers if my partiall obedience turne them into sinne what is a morsell of bread to one poore man when my oppression hath eaten up a Thousand what is my Faith if my malice make me worse then an Infidell The voice of Scripture the Language of Obedience is to keep all the Commandements the language of Repentance to depart from all Iniquity For all the Virtues in the world cannot wash off the guilt of one unrepented sin Shall I give my first-born for my Transgression saith the Prophet the fruit of my body for the sinne of my soule shall I bring the merits of one Saint the supererogations of another and add to these the Treasure of the Church shall I bring my Almes my Devotion my Teares all these will vanish at the guilt of one sinne and melt before it as the wax before the Sun for every sinne is as Seneca speaks of Alexanders in killing Calisthenes Crimen aeternum Sen. de Benef. an everpentance can redeeme For as oft as it shall be said that Alexander slew so many thousand persians it will be reply'd he did so but withall he slew Calisthenes He slew Darius 't is true and Calisthenes too He wan all as farre as the very Ocean 't is true but he killed Calisthenes and as oft we shall fill our mindes and flatter our selves with the forbearance of these or those sinnes our Conscience will check and take us up and tell us but we have continued in this or that beloved sin and none of all our performances shall make so much to our comfort as one unrepented sinne shall to our Reproach And now because in common esteeme one is no number and we scarce count him guilty of sin who hath but one fault Let us well weigh the danger of any one sinne be it Fornication Theft or Covetousnesse or the like be it whatsoever is called sinne and though perhaps we may dread it the lesse because it is but one yet we sahll find good reason to Turne from it because it is sinne
for which it was held First we consult Secondly we settle and establish our Consultations and last of all we gaine a Constancy and perseverance in those Actions which our Consultations have engaged and encouraged us in and all these three we owe to Feare Did we not Feare we should not Consult did not Feare urge and drive us on we should not determine and when this breath departeth our Counsells fall and all our Thoughts perish Present Christ unto us in all his beauty with his Spicy cheeks and Curled locks with hony under his Tongue as he is described in the Canticles present him as a Jesus and we grow too familiar with him Present him on the Mount at his Sermon and perhaps we will give him the hearing Present him as a Rock and we see a hole to run into sooner then a Foundation to lay that on which is like him and we run on with ease in our evill wayes having such a friend such an indulgent Saviour alwaies in our Eye but present him descending with a shout and with the Trump of God and then we begin to remember that for all these Evill wayes we shall be brought into Judgement Our Counsells shift as the wind blowes and upon better motion and riper consideration we are ready to alter our Decrees For these three follow close upon each other pallemus horrescimus Circumspicimus Plin. Epist. saith Pliny first Feare strikes us pale then puts into a fitt of Trembling at last wheeles us about to fee and consider the danger we are in this consideration follows us nor can we shake it off longiorisque timoris causa Timor est this wind increaseth as it goes drives us to consultation carries us on to determine and by a continued force binds and fastens us to our Counsells And therefore Aquinas tells us that our Turne proceeds from the feare of punishment tanquam à primo motu as from that which first sets it a moving for though true Repentance be the gift of God yet fear works that Disposition in us by which we Turne when God doth Turne us The Feare of punishment restraines us from sin in the restraint a hope of Pardon shewes it self upon this hope we build up strengthen our Resolution and at last see the horror of sin not in the punishment but in the sin hate our folly more then the whip and our evill wayes more then Death it self which we call a Filial feare which hath more of love then feare and yet doth not shut out this Feare quite for a good sonne may feare the Anger of a good Father and thus God is pleas'd to condescend to our weakness and accept this as our reasonable service at our hands though our chiefest motive to serve him at first were nothing else but a flash from the Quare moriemini nothing else but a feare of Death For in the last place Bas in Psal 32. this is a principall effect of the feare of punishment 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Basil as it brings us to Consultation so is it a faire Introduction to Piety it self Feare takes us by the hand and is a Schoolmaster unto us and when Feare hath well disciplin'd and Catechised us then love takes us in hand and perfects our Conversion so that we may seem to goe from Feare to Love as from a School to an Universitie In the 28. of Genesis at the Twelfth verse Jacob sees a Ladder set upon the Earth and the Top of it reaching up to heaven and we may observe that Jacob makes Feare the first step of the ladder for when he awakes as in an extasie he cryes out Quam terribilis iste locus how dreadfull is this place verse 17. so that feare is as it were the first rung and step of the Ladder and God on the top and Angels Ascending and Descending Love and Zeal and many Graces between Think what we please disgrace it if we will and fasten to it the badge of slavery and servility it is a blessed thing thus to feare the first step to happiness and one step helps us up to another and so by degrees we are brought ad culme Sionis to the top of the Ladder to the Top of perfection to God Himself whose Majesty first wounds us with feare and then gently bindes us up and makes us to love him who leads us through this darkness through this dread and terror into so great light makes us Tremble first that we may at last be as mount Sion and stand fast and firme for ever We now passe and rise one step higher to take a view of this feare of punishment not onely as usefull but lawfull and commanded not under the Law alone but under the Gospel as a motive to Turne us from sinne and as a motive to strengthen and uphold us in the wayes of Righteousnesse not onely as a restraint from sionne but as a preservative of Holiness and as a help and furtherance unto us in our progresse in the wayes of perfection And here it may seem a thing most unbefitting a Christian who should be led rather then drawn Plat. l. de Rep. and not a Christian alone but any moral man and therefore Plato calls it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an illiberal and base disposition to be banisht the School of morality and our great master in Philosophie makes punishment one of the three things that belong to slaves as the whip doth saith Solomon to the fooles back for to be forced into goodnesse to be frighted into health argues a disposition which little sets by Health or goodnesse it self But behold a greater then Plato and Aristotle our best master the Prince of Peace and love himselfe strives to awake and stirre up this kind of feare in us tells us of Hell and everlasting Darkness of a Flaming Fire of weeping and gnashing of Teeth presents his Father the Father of Mercies with a Thunder-bolt in his hand with Power to kill both body and soul shews us our sinne in a Deaths Head and in the fire of Hell as if the way to avoid sinne were to feare Death and Hell ad if we could once be brought to feare to die we should not die at all Many glorious things are spoken even of this feare The Philosopher calls it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Basan Ps 31. Tert. de poenit c. 6. the bridle of our Nature Saint Basil 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the bridle of our lusts Tertullian Instrumentum poenitentiae an Instrument to worke out Repentance Pachomius placeth it supra decem millia paedagogorum makes it the best Schoolmaster of ten Thousand Harken to the Trumpet of the Gospel be attentive to the Apostles voice what found more frequent then that of Terror able to shake and divide a soul from its sinne Had Marcion seen our Saviour with a whip in his hand Had he heard him cursing the Figg-tree and by that example punishing our sterility had he weigh'd the
hugg themselves in it are very weak even Children in understanding Gerson the devour Schoolman tells us Mulieres omnes propter infirmitaetem consilii mâ—jores nostri in Tutorum potestate esse voluerunt Cicero pro Mutaena it is most commonly in Women quarum aviditas pertinacior in assectu fragilior in cognitione Whose affections commonly outrunne their understanding who affect more then they know and are then most enflamed when they have least light and it is in men too and too many who are as fond of their groundless Fancies and ill-built Opinions as the weaknesse of that sex could possibly make them are as weak as the weakest of women and have more need of the bitt and Bridle then the Beasts that perish what greater weaknesse can there be then to follow a blind guide and deliver our selves up to our Fancy and affective Notions and make them Masters of our Reason and the only Interpreters of that word which should be a lamp to our feet and a light to our pathes For if we check not our Fancy and Affections they will run madding after shadows and apparitions They will shew us nothing but Peace in the Gospel nothing but Love in Christianity Nothing but Joy in the Holy Ghost They will set our Love and Joy on Wheeles and then we are straight carried up to Heaven in these siery Chariots One is Elioas Another John Baptist Another Christ himself If the Virgin Mary have an Exultat they have a Iubilee If Saint Paul be in the Spirit They are above it and right Reason too and the Spirit is theirs if he put on that shape which best likes them If he be a Spirit of Counsel we are his Secretaries of his Closet and can tell what he did before all Times and Number over his Decrees at our Fingers ends If a Spirit of strength we bid defiance to Principalities and Powers If a Spirit of Wisedome we are filled with him the wise-men the sages of the World though no man could ever say so but our selves If a Spirit of Ioy we are in an Extasy if of Love we are on fire But if he be Spiritus Timoris a Spirit of Feare there we leave him and are at Ods with him we seem to know him not and we cannot Feare at all because we are bold to think that wee have the Spirit 'T is true whilst we stand thus affected a Spirit we have but 't is a Spirit of illusion which troubles and distorts our Intellectualls and makes us look upon the Gospel ex adverso situ on the wrong side on that which may seem to flatter our infirmities but not on that which may cure them and as Tully told his friend That he did not know Totum Caesarem all of Caesar so we know not totum Christum all of Christ wee know and consider him as a Saviour but not as a LORD wee know him in the Riches of his Promises but not in the Terror of his Judgements know him in that life he purchas'd for Repentant sinners but not in that death he threatens to Unbeleevers For to let passe the Law of works Heb. 12.20 we dare not come so neere as to touch at that for we cannot endure that which was commanded Let us well weigh and consider the Gospel it self which is the Law of Faith was not that establish'd and confirmed with promises of Eternal life and upon penalty of Eternall Death In the Gospel we are told of weeping and gnashing of Teeth of a condition worse them to the a Mill-stone hanged about our necks and to be throwne into the bottom of the Sea and by no other then by the Prince of Peace then by Christ himself who would never have put this feare in us if he had knowne that our Love had had strength enough to bring us to him And therefore in the Tenth of St. Matthews Gospel at 28. verse he teacheth us how we shall feare Rectâ methodo he teacheth us to be perfect methodists in Fear that we misplace not our Feare upon any Earthly Power he sets up a Ne Timete Feare not them that can kill the Body and when they have done that have done all and can do no more and having taken away one feare he establisheth another But feare him who can both cast Body and Soul into Hell fire and that we might not forget it for such troublesome guests lodge not long in our memory he drives it home with an Etiam Dico Yea I say unto you feare him Now Him denotes a Person and no more and then our feare may be Reverence and no more It may be Love it may be Fancy it may be nothing but qui potest is equivalent to quia potest and is the reason why we must feare him even because he can punish And this I hope may free us from the Imputation of sinne if our Love be blended with some Feare and if in our Obedience we have an eye to the hand that may strike us as well as to that which may fill us with good things and if Christ who is the Wisedome of the Father think it fit to make the Terror of Death an argument to move us we cannot have Folly laid to our charge if we be moved with the Argument Fac Fac saith Saint Austin vel timore poenae si non Potes adhuc amore justitiae Doe it man Doe it if thou canst not yet for Love of Justice yet for fear of punishment I know that of Saint Austin is true Brevis differentia legis Evangelii Amor Timor Love is proper to the Gospel and Feare to the Law but 't is Feare of Temporall punishment not of Eternall for that may sound to both but is loudest in the Gospel The Law had a whip to fright us and the Gospel hath a Worm to Gnaw us I know that the Beauty of Christ in that great Work of Love the work of our Redemption should transport us beyond our selves and make us as the Spouse in the Canticles is said to be even sick with love but we must consider not what is due to Christ but what we are able to pay him and what he is willing to Accept not what so great a Benefit might challenge at our hands but what our Frailty can lay downe for we are not in Heaven already but passing towards it with Feare and trembling And he that brings forth a Christian in these colours of Love without any mixture of Feare doth but as it was said of the Historian votum accomodare non historiam present us rather with a wish then an History and Character out the Christian as Xenophon did Cyrus Non qualis est sed qualis esse deberet not what he is but what he should be I confesse thus to fear Christ thus to be urged and chased to Happinesse is an Argument of Imperfection but we are Men not Angels We are not in heaven already we are not yet perfect and
if he be angry we have provoked him if he come in a Tempest we have rais'd it if he be a consuming fire we have kindled it we force him to be what he would not be we make him Thunder who is all Light Tert. advers Marc. l. 2. c. 11. Bonitas ingenita severitas Accidens Alteram sibi alteram rei Deus praestitit saith the Father his goodnesse is Naturall his severity in respect of its Act Accidentall for God may be severe and yet not punish for he strikes not till we provoke him his Justice and severity are the same as everlasting as himself though he never speak in his wrath nor draw his sword If there were no Hell yet were he just and if there were no Abrahams Bosome yet were he Good if there were neither Angel nor men he were still the Lord blessed for evermore in a word he had been just though he had never been Angry he had been mercifull though man had not been miscrable he had been the same God just and good and mercifull though sin had not entred in by Adam nor Death by sinne God is active in Good and not in Evill he cannot doe what he doth detest and hate he cannot Decree Ordaine or further that which is most contrary to him he doth not kill me before all time and then in time aske me why I will die He doth not Condemne me first and then make a Law that I may break it He doth not blow out my Candle and then punish me for being in the dark That the conviction of a sinner should be the onely end of his Exhortations and Expostulations cannot consist with that Goodness which God is who when he comes to punish Isai 28.21 sacit opus non suum saith the Prophet doth not his owne worke doth a strange work a strange Act an Act that is forced from him a worke which he would not doe And as he doth not will our Death so doth he not desire to manifest his Glory in it which as our Death proceeds from his secondary and occasion'd will For God saith Aquinas seeks not the manifestation of his Glory Aquin. 2.2 q. 132. art 1. for his own but for our sakes His glory as his Wisdome and Justice and Power is with him alwayes as eternall as himself no Quire of Angels can improve no raging Devil can diminish his Glory which in the midst of all the Hallelujahs of Seraphin and Cherubin in the midst of all the Blasphemies of men and Devills is still the same and his first will is to see it in his Image in the conformity of our wills to his where it strives in the perfection of Beauty rather then when it is decay'd and defaced rather then in a Damned Spirit rather in that Saint he would have made then in that Reprobate and cursed soul which he was forced to throw into the lowest pit and so to receive his Glory is that which he would not have which he was willing to begin on Earth and then have made it perfect and compleat in the highest Heavens Tert. ibid. Exinde admortem sed ante ad vitam The sentence of Death was pronounced against man almost as soon as he was man but he was first created to life we are punished for being evill but we were first commanded to be good his first will is That we glorify him in our Bodies and in our soules but if we frustrate his loving expectation here then he rowseth himself up as a mighty man and will be avenged of us and work his Glory out of that which dishonor'd him and write it with our blood In the multitude of the People Prov. 14.28 is the Glory of a King saith the wisest of Kings and more Glory if they be obedient to his laws then if they rebell and rise up against him That Common-wealth is more glorious where every man fills his place then where the Prisons are filled with Theeves and Traytors and men of Belial and though the Justice and wisedome of the King may be seen in these yet 't is more resplendent in those on whom the Law hath more Power then the sword In Heaven is the glory of God best seen and his delight is in it to see it in the Church of the First-borne and in the soules of just men made perfect it is now indeed his will which primarily was not his will to see it in the Divel and his Angels For God is best pleased to see his Creature man to answer to that patteâ—e which he hath set up to be what he should be and what he intended And as every Artificer glories in his work when he sees it finish't according to the rule and that Idea which he had drawne in his minde and as we use to look upon the work of our hands or witts with that favour and complacency we doe upon our Children when they are like us so doth God upon man when he appeares in that shape and forme of Obedience which he prescrib'd for then the Glory of God is carried along in the continued streame and course of all our Actions breaks forth and is seen in every worke of our Hands is the Eccho of every word we speak the result of every Thought that begat that word and it is Musick in his eares which he had rather heare then the weeping and howling of the Damned which he will now heare though the time was when he us'd all fitting meanes to prevent it even the same meanes by which he raised those who now glorify him in the Highest Heaven God then is no way willing we should die not by his Naturall will which is his prime and antecedent will for Death cannot issue from the Fountaine of Life and by this will was the Creature made in the beginning and by this preserved ever since by this are administred all the meanes to bring it to that perfection and happiness for which it was first made for the goodness of God it was which first gave a being to man and then adopted him in speâ—… regâ—…i design'd him for immortality and gave him a Law by the fulfilling of which he might have a Tast of that Joy and Happinesse which he from all Eternity possest And therefore secondly not voluntate praecepti not by his will exprest in his command in his precepts and Laws For under Christ this will of his is the onely destroyer of Death and being kept and observ'd swallows it up in victory for how can Death touch him who is made like unto the living Lord or how should Hell receive him whose conversation is in heaven Ezek. 16. â—1 13.21 If we do them we shall even live in them saith the Prophet and he repeats it often as if Life were as inseparable from them as it is from the living God himself by which as he is life in himself so to man whom he had made he brought life and immortality to light
excludes all stoicall fate all necessity of sinning or dying there is nothing above us nothing before us nothing about us which can necessitate or binde us over to death so that if we die it is in our volo in our will we die for no other reason but that which is not reason quia volumus because we will die We have now brought you to the very Cell and Den of death where this monster was framed and fashioned where 't was first conceived brought forth and nurst up I have discovered to you the Original and beginnings of sin whose natural issue is death and shut it up in one word the will that which hath so troubled and amuzed men in all the ages of the Church to finde out That which some have sought in Heaven in the bosom of God as if his Providence had a hand in it and others have raked Hell and made the devil the Author of it who is but a perswader a soliciter to promote it that which others have tied to the chain of Destiny whose links are filed by the fancy alone and made up of air and so not strong enough to binde men much lesse the Gods themselves as 't is said what many have busied themselves in a painful and unnecessary search to finde out opening the windows of Heaven to finde it there running to and fro about the universe to finde it there and searching Hell it self to discover it we may discover in our own Breasts in our own heart the will the womb that conceives this Monster this Viper which eats through it and Destroyes the Mother in the Birth For that which is the beginning of Action is the beginning of sinne and that which is the beginning of sinne is the cause of Death In homine quicquid est sibi proficit Hilar. in Ps 118. saith Hilary there is nothing in man Nothing in the world which he may not make use of to avoid and prevent Death and In homine quic-quid est sibi nocet there is nothing in man nothing in the world which he may not make an occasion and Instrument of sinne That which hurts him may help him That which Circumspection and Diligence may make an Antidote neglect and Carelesness may Turn into Poyson 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Basil as goodness so sinne is the work of our will not of Necessity If they were wrought in us against our will there could be neither Good nor Evill I call Heaven and Earth to witnesse saith GOD by his Servant Moses I have set before you Life and Death Blessing and cursing Deut. 30.19 and what is it to set it before them but to put it to themselves to put it into their own Hands to put it to their choice Chuse then which you will The Devil may tempt the Law occasion sinne Rom. 7.11 the Flesh may be weake Temptations may shew themselves but not any of these not all of these can bring in a necessity of Dying For the Qeustion or Expostulation doth not run thus Why are you under a Law why are you weake or why are you Dead for Reasons may be given for all these and the Justice and Wisedome of God will stand up to defend them but the Question is Why Will ye die for which there can bee no other Reason given but our Will And here we must make a stand and take our rise from this one word this one syllable our Will for upon no larger foundation then this we either build our selves up into a Temple of the Lord or into that Tower of Babel and Confusion which God will Destroy We see here all is laid upon the Will But such is our Folly and madness so full of Contradictions is a wilfull sinner that though he call Death unto him both with words and works though he be found guilty and sentence of Death past upon him yet he cannot be wrought into such a perswasion Tert. Apol. c. 1. That he was ever willing to Die nolumus nostrum quia malum Agnoscimus we will not call sinne ours because we know it Evill and so are bold to exonerate and unload our selves upon God himself 'T is true there is light but we are blind and cannot see it There is Comfort sounds every where but we are deafe and cannot heare it There is supply at hand but we are bound and fetter'd and can make no use of it There is Balm in Gilead but we are lame and have no hand to apply it We complain of our naturall weakness of our want of Grace and Assistance when we might know the Danger we are in we plead Ignorance when we willingly yeeld our Members servants to sinne we have learnt to say we did not doe it plenâ voluntate with a full Consent and will and what God hath clothed with Death we cloath with the faire Glosse of a good Intention and meaning we complaine of our Bodies and of our Souls as if the Wisedome of God had fail'd in our Creation we would be made after another fashion that we might be good and yet when we might be good we will be evill And these Webbs a sick and unsanctify'd Fancy will soon spin out These are Receipts and Antidotes of our own Tempering devis'd and made use of against the Gnawings of Conscience These we study and are ready and expert in and when Conscience begins to open and chide these are at hand to quiet it and to put it to silence wee carry them about for ease and comfort but to as little purpose as the women in Chrysostoms time bound the coines of Alexander the Great or some part of Saint Johns Gospel to ease them of the Headach for by these Receits and spells we more envenom our souls and draw neerer to Death by Thinking to fly from it and are ten-fold more the Servants of Satan because we are willing to doe him service but not willing to weare his Livery and thus excusando exprobramus our Apologies defame us our false Comforts destroy us and wee condemn our selves with an Excuse To draw then the lines by which we are to passe we will take off the Moriemini the cause of our Death from these First from our Naturall weakness Secondly from the Deficiency of Grace for neither can our Naturall weakness Betray nor can there be such a want of Grace as to enfeeble nor hath Satan so much Power as to force the will and so there will be no Necessity of Dying either in respect of our Naturall weakness or in regard of Gods strengthning hand and withholding his Grace and then in the second place that neither Ignorance of our duty nor regret or reluctancie of Conscience nor any pretence or good Intention can make sin lesse sinfull or our Death lesse voluntary and so bring Death to their Doores who have sought it out who have called it to them who are Confederate with it and are worthy to bee partakers thereof And Why Will you
it the Idea and platform of a Church a Mornarchy is the best form of Government saith the Philosopher and therefore say they at Rome the fittest for the Church Judges are set up to determine controversies in the Common-wealth and by this pattern they erect a Tribunal for a Judge in matters of faith Temporal felicity and peace is the desire of the whole earth hence they have made it a note and mark of the Church of Christ like the wanton Painter in Pliny who drew the picture of a Goddesse in the shape and likenes of his Paramour and thought that was best and fittest which he best likt From hence it is from our too much familiarity with the world from our daily parlies with vanity from our wanton Hospitality and free reception of it into our thoughts and the delight we take in such a guest we are deceived and lose all the strength of our judgement not able to distinguish between Heaven and earth or discern that one differeth from the other in glory and being thus blinded having this vail drawn before our face we are very apt to take the Church and the world to be alike miscere Deum saeculum to mingle God and the world together and place our selves betwixt them and so make vanity it self our companion in our way to happinesse From hence it is that when we see the sword and persecution to rage against the professors of the Gospel we think that not onely the Glory is departed but the light of Israel is quite put out that when a kingdom is shaken and wasted the gates of Hell hath prevailed against the Church as groundlesse a conceit well neer as if we should take the description of Heaven in the Revelation to be true in the letter and think that it is a City of pure Gold that the foundations of the walls are adorned with precious stones that every gate is pearl and the streets shine like Glasse And therefore in the third place let us cast down these imaginations these bubbles of winde and aire The third blown up by the flesh the worser part which doth soonest bring on a persecution and soonest fear it and let us in the place of these build up a royal fort build our selves up in our holy faith and so fit and prepare our selves against the fiery trial For as amongst the Heathen those Ceremonies were called Mysteries which were precedaneous and went before the Mysteries Clem. Alex l. 1. strom 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and he may be said to fight who doth but flourish and arms and fits himself for the battle so the blessed spirit every where calls upon those who are born of him to watch and pray and stand upon their guard Ephe. 6.11 to put on the whole armour of God that when the devil assaults them in a storm of persecution they may be able to stand in time of peace to prepare for war to look upon the sword before hand to behold the glittering of it all its terrour and take it up and handle it and then by the wisdom which the spirit teacheth dispute it out of its force and terrour saying within themselves This can but kill the body which is every day in killing it self living and dying building up it self which is next to ruine but if I faint and fall under it I lose my soul which God breathed into me and then made as immortal as himself and whilest I fly from the edge of the sword my backsliding carries me into the pitt of destruction Thus by a familiar conversing with it before the blow In pace labore incommodis bellum pati discunt in armis deambulando campum decurrendo fossam metrendo c. Tert. ad Marry res c. 3. by opposing our Hopes of Happiness to the smart and Death it may bring by setting up Life against Death and Eternity against a moment we may abate its force and violence and so conquer before we fight This is our military Discipline this is our Spirituall exercise our Martyrdome before Martyrdome This bindes the sacrifice with cords to the Hornes of the Altar and makes it ready to be offered up This prepares us for Warre that we may have peace peace before we fight whilst we rest on the Authority In militaris disciplinae sinu rutela serenus beatae pacis status acquiescit Val. Max. l. 7. c. 3. and command of our Emperor and in his strength for we may doe all Things in Christ that strengthneth us and then peace everlasting Peace the reward and Crown of victory Every day to a Christian Souldier is Dies Praeliaris a day of Battell in which he makes some assault or other and gaines advantage on the adversary for however the day may be faire and no cloud appeare yet the sentence is gone out All that will live Godly in Christ Jesus must suffer Persecution 2 Tim 3.12 What shall all be torne on the rack and bruis'd on the wheel shall all be sacrific'd shall all be Martyrs yes all shall be Martyrs though many of them lose not a drop of blood Habet pax suos Martyres for there is a kinde of Martyrdome in Peace for he that thus prepares and fitts himself he that by an assiduous mortifying of himself which indeed is in some degree to Deify himself builds up in himself this firme resolution to leave all to suffer all for the name of Christ and the Gospel he suffers before he suffers he suffers though he never suffers there wanting nothing to compleat it but an Ismael but the Tyrant and the Executioner he cannot but be willing to leave the world who is gone out of it already Be ye therefore ready for in an Houre when you think not Matt. 24.44 the Son of man the Captain of your Salvation may come and put you into the lists though the trumpet sound not to battell yet Bellum status est nomen qui potest etiam esse cum operationes ejus non exerit Grot. de Jure belli pacis is it not peace And if you ask mee how you shall make ready and address your selves what preparation is required I may say it is no more then this To love the Truth which you professe to make it your guide your Counsellour your Oracle whilst the light shines upon your head when that sayes Go to Goe and when it sayes Do this to doe it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Tim. 4.7 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Basil de Humil. to exercise your soules unto Godliness and so incorporate as it were and make it Consubstantiall with them leave and imprint them there in an Indeleble Character For if you thus display and manifest it in every Action of your life if you thus fasten it to your soul and make it a part of it in time of peace you will not then part with it at a blast at the mock of an Ismael or the breath of
title to that honour which we give to a just man How many count themselves just men yet do those things which themselves if they would be themselves would condenm as most unjust and do so when others do them and how many have carried so much honesty with them into hell the Law of men cannot reach home to carry us to that height of innocency to which on other Law but that within us might lift us up but the Lawes of this Lord like his power and providence reach and comprehend all the very looks and profers and thoughts of the minde which no man sees which we see not our selves which though they break not the peace nor shake any pillar of a common-wealth for a thought troubles no heart but that which conceives it yet it stands in opposition to that policy which this our Lord hath drawn out and to that end for which he is our Lord and is louder in his ears then an evil word in ours and therefore he looks not onely on our outward guilt but the conscience it self and pierceth to the dividing asunder of the soul and the spirit regulates the very thoughts and intents of the heart which he looks upon not as fading and vanishing characters in the soul but as killing letters imprinted and engraven there as S. Basil speaks as full and compleat actions wrought out in the inward man Saint Bernard calls them passivas actiones passive actions which he will Judge secundum evangelium Bas de virg Bern. 159. according to these Laws which he hath publisht in his Gospel Secondly that he is a Lord appears by the vertue and power of his dominion for whereas all the power on earth which so often dazles us can but afflict the body this wounds the soul rips up the very heart and bowels and when those Lords which we so tremble at till we fall from him can but kill the body This Lord can cast both soul and body into Hell nay can make us a Hell unto our selves make us punish and torment our selves and being greater then our conscience can multiply those strokes Humane laws have been brought into disgrace because they had not power enough to attend and hold them up and even the common people who fear them most have by their own observation gathered the boldnesse to call them cobwebs for they see he that hath a full purse or a good sword will soon break through them or finde a beesom to sweep them away What speak you of the Laws I can have them and binde them up in sudariolo saith Damianus in the corner of my Handkerchief nay many times for want of power victae leges the Laws must submit as in conquest and though they have a tongue to speak yet they have not a hand to strike And as it is in punishment so it is sometimes in point of reward men may raise their mer it deserts so high that the Exchecquer it self shall not finde a reward to equal them We have a story in our own Chronicles of a Noble-man who did such service for his friend then but a private man that he made him first a Conqueror then a king the Historian gives this note that kings love not to be too much beholding to their Subjects nor to have greater service done then they are able to reward and so how truly I know not makes the setting on of the Crown on his friends head one cause of the losing of his own But it is not so with this our Lord who being now in his throne of Majesty cannot be outdared by any sin be it never so great never so common and can break the hairy scalp of the most Gyant-like offender and shiver in pieces the tallest Cedar in Libanus Who shall be able to stand up in his sight In his presence the boldest sinner shall tremble and fall downe and see the Horror of that profitable Honorable sinne in which he Triumpht and called it Godlinesse The Hypocrite whose every word whose every motion whose every look was a lye shall be unmaskt and the man of Power who boasted in malice and made his will a Law and hung his Sword on his will to make way to that at which it was levell'd shall be beat down into the lowest pitt to Howl with those who measured out Justice by their Sword and thought every thing theirs which that could give them Before him Every sinne shall be a sinne and the wages thereof shall be Death Again he hath rewards and his Treasurie is full of them Not onely a Cup of cold water but the powring forth my blood as water for the Truths sake shall have its full and overflowing Recompence nor shall there ever any be able to say what profit is it that we have kept his Laws No saith Saint Paul Non sunt condignae Mal. 2.14 Rom. 8.8 put our passions to our Actions our Sufferings to our Almes our Martyrdome to our Prayers they are not worthy the naming in comparison of that weight of Glory which our Lord now sitting at the right Hand of God hath prepared for them that feare him Nec quisquam à regno ejus subtrahitur nor can any goe out of his reach or stand before him when he is angry He that sits on the Throne and he that grindes at the Mill to him are both alike 3. And now in the third place That every knee may bow and every Tongue confesse him to be the Lord Let us a little take notice of the large compasse and Circuit of his Dominion and the Psalmist will tell us That he shall have Dominion from the Sea to the Sea and from the River unto the ends of the world Adam the first man and he that shall stand last upon the Earth Every man is his subject For he hath set him saith Saint Paul at his right hand in heavenly places and hath put all things under his Feet and gave him to be Head over all Things to his Church and what a thin shadow what a Nothing is all the overspreading power of this world to this All other Dominion hath its bounds and limits which it cannot passe but by violence and the sword nor is it expedient for the world to have one King nor for the Church to have one Universall Bishop or as they speak one visible Head For as a ship may be made up to that bulke that it cannot bee managed so the number of men and distance of place may be so great that it cannot subsist under one Government Thus it falls out in the world but it is not so in the Kingdom of this our Lord No place so distant or remote to which this Power cannot reach Lybiam remotis Gadibus Jungit all places are to him alike and he sees them all at once It is called the Catholick Church and in our Creed wee professe wee beleeve Sanctam Catholicam Ecclesiam the holy Catholique CHURCH That is That that
onely in this sense said to have an end when indeed it is in its 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and perfection when there will be no enemy stirring to subdue no use of Laws when the Subjects are now made perfect when this Lord shall make his subjects Kings and Crowne them with Glory and Honor for ever Here 's no weaknesse no Infirmity no abjuration no resignation of the Crowne and Power but all things are at an end his enemies in Chaines and his subjects free free from the feare of Hell or Temptations of the Devill the World or the flesh and though there be an end yet he reignes still though he be subject yet he is as high as ever he was Though he hath delivered up his Kingdome yet he hath not lost it but remaines a Lord and King for Evermore And now you have seen this Lord that is to come you have seen him sitting at the right hand of God His right and Power of Government his Laws just and Holy and wise the virtue and Power the largeness and the duration of his Government a sight fit for those to look on who love and look for the comming of this Lord for they that long to meet him in the Clouds cannot but delight to behold him at the right Hand of God Look upon him then sitting in Majesty and Power and think you now saw him moving towards you and were now descending with a shout for his very sitting there should be to us as his comming it being but the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the preparation to that great Day Look upon him and think not that he there sits Idle but beholds the Children of men those that wait for him and those that Think not of him and he will come down with a shout not fall as a Timber-logge for every Frogg every wanton sinner to leap upon and croake about but come as a Lord with a Reward in one hand and a Vengeance in the other Oh 't is farre better to fall down and worship him now then not to know him to be a Lord till that time that in his wrath he shall manifest his Power and fall upon us and break us in pieces Look then upon this Lord and look upon his Lawes and write them in your hearts for the Philosopher will tell us that the strength and perfection of Law consists not onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the wise and discreet framing of them but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the right and due performance of them for obedience is the best seal and Ratification of a Law He is Lord from all eternity and cannot be divested of his royal office yet he counts his kingdom most compleat when we are subject and obedient unto him when he hath taken possession of our hearts where he may walk not as he did in Paradise terrible to Adam who had forfeited his allegiance but as in a garden of pleasures to delight himself with the sons of men Behold he commands threatens beseeches calls upon us again and again and the beseechings of Lords are commands preces armatae armed prayers backt with power and therefore next consider the vertue and power of his dominion and bow before him do what he commands with fear and trembling let this power walk along with thee in all thy wayes when thou art giving an almes let it strike the trumpet out of thy hand when thou fastest let it be in capite jejunii let it begin and end it when thou art strugling with a tentation let it drive thee on that thou faint not and fall back and do the work of the Lord negligently Jer. 48.10 when thou art adding vertue to vertue let it be before they eyes that thou mayest double thy diligence and make it up compleat in every circumstance and when thou thinkest of evil let it joyn with that thought that thou mayest hate the very appearance of it and chace it away why should dust ashes more awe thee then Omnipotency why should thy eye be stronger then thy faith not onely the frown but the look of thy Superior composeth and models thee puts thee into any fashion or form thou wilt go or run or sit down thou wilt venture thy body would that were all nay thou wilt venture thy soul do any thing be any thing what his beck doth but intimate but thy faith is fearlesse as bold as blind and will venture on on the point of the sword fears what man not what this Lord can do to him fears him more that sits on the bench than him that sits at the right hand of God If we did beleeve as we professe we could not but more lay it to our hearts even lay it so as to break them for who can stand up when he is angry let us next view the largenesse and compasse of his Dominion which takes in all that will come and reacheth those who refuse to come and is not contracted in its compasse if none should come and why shouldest thou turn a Saviour into a destroyer why should'st thou die in thy Physitians armes with thy cordials about thee why shouldest thou behold him as a Lord 'till he be angry he caleth all inviteth all that come why should Publicans and sinners enter and thy disobedience shut thee out Lastly consider the duration of his Dominion which shall not end but with the world nor end then when it doth end for the vertue of it shall reach to all eternity and then think that under this Lord thou must either be eternally happy or eternally miserable and let not a flattering but a fading world thy rebellious and traiterous flesh let not the father of lies a gilded temptation an apparition a vain shadow thrust thee on his left hand for both at his right and left there is power which works to all eternity The second his Advent or coming Venit he will come And now we have walkt about this Sion and told the towers thereof shewed you Christs territories and Dominion the nature of his laws the vertue and power the largenesse and compasse the duration of his kingdom we must in the next place consider his Advent his coming consider him as now coming for we cannot imagine as was said before that he sat there idle like Epicurus his God nec sibi facessens negotium nec alteri not regarding what is done below but like true Prometheus governing and disposing the state of times and actions of men M. Sen. Contr. Divinum numen etiam qua non apparet rebus humanis intervenit his power insinuates it self and even works there where it doth not appear Though he be in heaven yet he can work at this distance for he fills the heaven and the earth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he beholdeth all things he heareth all things he speaks to thee and he speaks in thee he hears thee when thou speakest and he hears thee when thou speakest not in his book are
and bespeaks them with Arguments and reasons undenyable and decline to falshood by leaning rather to that which is convenient then that which is true hearkning more to earthly and sensuall motives then to the voice of God which told them This is the way Honor and Riches and love of this world make up that body of Divinity which must be a Directory for others to walk by the eye reads the Text and the eye lets in the Interpretation for the love that I delight in is urgent with me and perswades me to understand it so as it may favour and Countenance that Love Thus do Tentations both to sinne and errour creep in at these doores and inlets of the senses and like Theeves steale in by night colour'd over with the pleasures and clouded with the pomp of the world and so find easy admittance and steale away the Truth and Love of God out of our hearts whilst we sleep And if a faire Temptation doe not make entrance with a smile a bitter and grievous Temptation may force a passage with its Horror For thus according to their divers and severall aspects they worke both upon the Irascible and Concupiscible Power If an Enemy be loud against us we have a Tempest vvithin us if Jacob hath the blessing Esau hates him At the sight of Beauty if I take not heed my Love begins to kindle at the next look it Flames The approach of danger strikes me with feare nay a shadow and representation will doe it I may take a Promontory for a Navy and a field of Thistles for a body of Pikes not onely that which is true but that which is Feigned That which is but colour which is but round which is but a superficies but an apparition but a shadow being carelesly let in and entertain'd may rayse this Tumult and Sedition in the Soul a faire promising Temptation comes upon parley and treaty and conditions insinuates and winnes upon us with its smiles and flatteries but a fearfull and boy sterous Temptation playeth upon us with all its Artillery with smart and shame and poverty and Imprisonment and Death makes forward with a kind of force and violence Tâ—ll Offi. 1. Et tumultuantes de gradu dcijcit and overthrows us with some noise And as the senses conveigh the Tentations so do the Affections if we watch them not and suppresse them make sensible alterations in the heart and make themselves visible to the very Eye Ardent intenduntur humectant connivent hinc illae misericordrae Lacrymae Plin. Nat. H. l. 11. c. 37. profectò saith Pliny in oculis animus inhabitat the mind dwells in the eye there it is visible to be seen in its joy it leapeth there in its grief it languisheth in its feare it droopeth there in its Anger it threatens there in its Hope it looks out cheerfully and in its Despaire it sinks in again and leaves the living man with no more motion then a Carkasse The heart of man changeth his countenance saith the Wise man If we stand not upon our Guard the state and peace of our mind will soon be over-thrown Respexit oculis saith St. Amb. et sensum mentis evertit os libavit crimen retulit the man did but look back and his mind was shaken he did but open his eare and lost a good intention he did but lightly Touch and shadow the Object and took in a sinne he did but Touch and was on fire You see now the force and strength of the Enemy you see him in his mine and you see him in his March with his flatteries and Menacies with his glories and Terrors with his occasions and Arguments and if to these you oppose your Prudency and watchfulness your Fortitude and Christian Resolution you put him to flight or Tread him under your foot 1. For first A. Gel. Noct. Att. L. 19. c. 2. Temptations may enter the senses without sinne for to behold the Object to Touch or Tast which are called belluini sensus our more Brutish senses is not to commit sinne Tertul de Coron Mil. c. 5. because God himself hath thus ordered and framed the senses by their severall instruments and Organs auditum in auribus fodit visum in ceulis accendit gustum in ore conclusit saith the Father he hath kindled up light in the eyes he hath digged the hollow of the Eare for hearing and hath shut up the Tast in the mouth or palate and hath given man his senses very fit for the triall and reward of vertue for as he made the eye to see so he made every thing in the world to be seene Frustra ii essent si non viderentur saith Amor. they were to no End if they were not to be seen and seen they may be to our Comfort and to our perill and as Temptations may enter in at the Eye or Eare or any of the other senses so we may make them the matter of virtue as well as the occasion in a word make a Covenant with our eye bridle our Tast bind our Touch purge our eares and so sanctify and Consecrate every sense unto the Lord which is indeed to watch 2. Secondly They may enter the Thoughts and be received into the imagination and yet if we set our Watch not overcome us for as yet they are but as it were in their march bringing up their forces but have made no battery or breach into the soul For as God hath Blood and uncleanness all the foul Actions which are done in the world written in his Book and yet every leaf thereof is faire and clean as purity it self so may the mind of man mingle it self with the most polluted Objects that are and yet be a Virgin still chast and untoucht I may entertain all the Heresies that are in my thoughts and yet be Orthodox I may think of evill and with that thought destroy it 'T is not the sight of the object nor the knowledge of evill 't is not the remembrance of evill 'T is not the Contemplation of Evill that can make me Evill for if I watch over my self and it I may think of it and loath it I may remember and abhorre it For how could a Prophet denounce Judgement against sinne if he did not think of it How could I abhorre and avoid sâ—… how could I repent of it if it were not in my Thought 3. This we cannot doubt of But then Thirdly The sense and Fancy may receive the object with some delight and naturall complacency and yet without sinne if we stand upon our Guard suffer it to winne no more ground but then oppose it most when it most pleads for admittance For thus farre it will advance and as the rationall and intellectuall delight is from some Conclusion gain'd and drawn out of the principles of Discourse which is the work of reason so there is a sensible complacency which is nothing else but adulatio corporis the pleasing of
the remission of sins and last of all the end of this institution and of this celebration of the Lords Supper in the words of my Text This doe as oft as you do it in remembrance of me Which words I read to you as S. Pauls but indeed they are Christs delivered by him and received from Christ as he tells us v. 23. In which you may behold his love streaming forth as his blood did on the Crosse for not content once to dye for us he will appear unto us as a crucified Saviour to the end of the world and calls upon us to look upon him and remember him whom our sins have pierced presents himself unto us in these outward elements of Bread and Wine and in the breaking of the one and pouring out of the other is evidently set forth before our eyes and even crucified amongst us as S. Paul speaks Gal. 3.1 thus condescending and applying himself to our infirmities that he may heal us of our sins and make and keep us a peculiar people to himself And since the words are his we must in the first place look up and hearken to him who breaths forth this love secondly consider what task his love hath set us what we are to do thirdly ex praescripto agere since it is an injunction whose every accent is love doe it after that form which he hath set down after the manner which he hath prescribed So the parts are four First the Author of the Institution Secondly the duty enjoyned to do this Thirdly to do it often Lastly the end of the Institution or the manner how we must do it we must do it in remembrance of him i.e. of all those benefits and graces and promises which flowed with his blood from his very heart which was sick with love and with these we shall exercise your Christian devotion at this time And first we must look upon the Author of the Institution for in every action we do it is good to know by what authority we do it and this is the very order of nature saith S. Austin Aug. l. 1. de Morib Eccl. c. 2. ut rationem praecedat autoritas that Authority should go before and have the preheminence of Reason that where Reason is weak Authority may come in as a supply to strengthen and settle it For what can Reason see in Bread and Wine to quicken or raise a soul what is Bread to a wounded spirit or Wine to a sick soul 1 Cor. 8.8 For neither if we eat are we the better the more accepted nor if we eat not are we the worse saith S. Paul 'T is true the outward elements are indifferent in themselves but authority changes even transelements them gives them vertue efficacy a commanding power even the force of a Law He that put vertue into the clay spittle to cure a bodily eye may do the same to bread and wine to heal our spiritual blindness he that made them a staff to our body may make them also a prop to our souls when they droop and sink and then if he say this do ye though our reason should be at a stand and boggle at it as at a thing which holds no proportion with a soul yet we must do it because he sayes it It may be said Is not his word sufficient which is able to save our souls is it not enough for me to beat down my body to pour forth my prayers to crucifie my flesh No nothing is sufficient but what the authority of Christ hath made so nescit judicare quisquis didicit perfectè obedire is true in matters of this nature we have no judgement of our own our wisdome is to obey and let him alone to judge what is fit who alone hath power to command Authority must not be disputed with nor can it hear why should I do this for such a question denies it to be authority if it were possible that God to try our obedience should bid us sow the rocks or water a dry stick or teach a language which we do not know as the Jesuits do their Novices a necessity would lie upon us and woe unto us if we did it not how much rather then should we obey when he commands for our advantage gives us a law that he may give us more grace binds us to that which will raise us neerer to him when he spreads his table prepares his viands bids us eat and drink and then sayes grace bids a blessing himself unto it that we may grow up in his Favour and be placed amongst those great examples of eternall happinesse Look not then on the Minister howsoever qualified for a brasse seal makes the same impression which a ring of Gold doth and it is not materiall whether the seal be of baser or purer mettall so the image and character be authentique saith Nazianz. Look not on the outward elements for of themselves they have no power at all no more than the water of Jordan had to cure a Leper but their power and vertue is from above the force and vertue of a Sacrament lies in the institution all the power it hath is from the Author Before it was but Bread but common Bread now it is Manna the bread of strength the bread of Angels and this truth thou maist build upon nor doth the Church of Rome deny it and though they have added five Sacraments and may adde as many more as they please Quicquid arant homines navigant aedificant any thing we do may be made a Sacrament when the fancy is working she may spin out what she please yet they cannot deny that every Sacrament must have immediate institution from Christ himself from his own mouth or else it is of no validity and therefore are forced to pretend it though they cannot prove it in those which themselves have added for their own advantage Think then when thou hearest these words Take eat this is my body which was broken thou hearest thy Saviour himself speaking from heaven think not of the Minister or the meannesse of the Elements but think of him who took thee out of thy blood and sanctified thee with his and by the same power is able to sanctifie these outward Elements by the vertue of whose institution The cup of blessing which we blesse which he blessed first shall be to every one that comes worthily the Communion of the Blood and the Bread which we breake which he first brake the Communion of the Body of Christ 1 Cor. 10.16 And thus much of the Author Let us now consider what he enjoyns us to do and the command is to do this that is to do as he did though to another end to take Bread and to give Thanks and eat it and so of the Cup to take and drink it and if this be done with an eye to the Author and a lively faith in him this is all for this table was spread not for the
faith quickened more earnestly looking on God more compassionately on our Brethren more light in our understanding more heat in our affections more constancy in our Patience every vitious inclination weakned every vertue rooted and establisht what is but brasse it refines into Gold raiseth the man the Earthy man to the participation of a Divine nature And shall we not be covetous of that which is so profitable and advantageous Thirdly Pleasure is attractiue is eloquent and pleads for admittance who will not doe that which brings so much delight and pleasure when 't is done and here in this action of worthy receiving it is not that short transitory Meteor the flattery and titillation of the outward man but that new heaven which reason and Religion create in the mind the joy of harvest as the Prophet speaks for here we reape in joy what we sow'd in teares the joy and triumph of a Conquerour for here we tread down our enemy under our feet the joy of a prisoner set at liberty for this is our Jubilee And such a joy the bloud of Christ if it be tasted and well digested must necessarily bring forth a pure refined spirituall heavenly joy 1 Pet. 1.7 pretious bloud saith Saint Peter and not to be shed for a trifle for that joy which is no better then madnesse and the blood of an Immaculate Lamb and not to be poured forth for a stained wavering fugitive joy for a joy as full of pollution as the world and the flesh from whence it sprung bring but a true taste with thee a soule purged from those vitious humors which vitiate and corrupt it and here is not onely Bread and Wine but living bread bread that putteth gladnesse into the heart more then Corn and Wine can Psalm 4. Here is Christ here is joy here is heaven it self And shall we not do that which fills the heart with so much joy in the doing it shall we not take and eat that which is so pleasant to the taste Last of all it is not onely convenient pleasant and profitable but it is necessary to doe it for if this Sacrament could have been well spared that men might have well kept the law of the inward man without it our Lord who came to beat down all the Rites and Ceremonies of the law would not have raised up this but he knew it necessary and therefore left it upon record as binding as a law and for ought we find nay without all doubt did never recall or dispense with it Do this is plain and do it often is plain enough but do it not or do it seldome is never read but he calls and commands us to his table to feed on the body and blood of Christ and in the strength of it to walk before him and be perfect that when our souls be run to decay when good habits are weakned and the graces of God discoloured and darkned in us when our knees are enfeebled and our hands hang down when our faculties begin to shrink and be parched as with the drought of summer we may come to this fountain and fill our cisternes and recover our former strength and beauty Our fault it is and a great one to be ever enquiring what binds and what is necessary and if necessity drive us not like dull beasts we will not mend our pace and are more led by Omri's statutes by humane laws then Christs institution when if we rightly weigh it whatsoever is convenient for us whatsoever may be advantageous to us in the service of our Lord should be as powerfull with us as if it came under the imperiall forme of a Law and what is convenient and fitted to us in such a case is also necessary for us in the same condition necessary I say if a more violent necessity come not to crosse and hinder it for when nothing is wanting but a will then a necessity lyes upon us and woe unto us if we do it not So now you have them all four and to conclude this if these will not quicken and move us to come we are dead in sin and have lost our taste Will convenience move us we talk much of it here it is a duty fitted and proportioned to our present condition Will profit move us and whom doth not profit adde a wing to lo here it is in this duty the due performance of which repayes all our cost and pain with interest Will pleasure move us and whom doth not pleasure transport here is joy here is paradise here is pleasure and there is none but it Last of all will necessity move us it is said that will drive us and if the rest be but gentle gales this is as a whirlewind behold here is necessity a duty as necessary as our own wants and the authority of our High Priest and King can make it who hath not onely commanded us to do it but to do it often which now offers it self to our consideration As often as you do it implyes a doing it often 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 includes a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and doth not leave it at large to our will and pleasure as an arbitrary thing to be taken up when our discretion shall appoint the time I will not be so bold as to prescribe how often nor is it necessary to be determined every mans want and necessity in this should be a law unto him and as oft as he finds his soule to droop and faint here he is to refresh it as oft as he feels the inward man to decay here to repair it as oft as he sees the temple of the holy Ghost to gather dust and filth here to sweep and purge it when his faith begins to faile here to confirm and strengthen it If we come like rude and unmannerly guests once is too often but if we purge and cleanse our hearts if our stomacks be clean if we come prepared for the feast often we may come but we cannot come too often Sic vive saith Saint Ambrose ut quotidiè mereare accipere Si quotidianus est cibus cur post annum sumis Amb. l. 6. de Sacram. c. 4. Cypr. ep 54. 69. so passe every day of thy life that thou mayst be fit to do it every day I will not urge nor bind you to the practice of the first Christians who received every day because in time of persecution as children appointed to dye they lookt upon every day as their last although Saint Cyprian will tell us they did it also in times of peace and Saint Austin calls it Quotidianum ministerium Dominici corporis Augustin ep 180. a dayly office and ministery The truth is the Sacrament is fit for every day but we are not every day fit for it and in this different variety of circumstances of time and the dispositions and qualifications of men every man must be his own judge and law-giver and yet the royall law binds him to
sparks to fly upwards and if we rightly weigh it it is as great a prodigie as monstrous a sight to see an idle person that can do nothing but feed and cloath himself and breath as to see a stone flye or fire descend to the Center of the earth I may add as to see the Sunne stand still For as the Sun so Man naturally should rejoyce to run his course Shall I now awake the sluggard if any Thunder will awake him and tell him he is a thief that he drinks not water out of his own cisterne That he eateth stolne bread If I should I have Saint Paul 2 Thess 3.12 and Reason to justifie me who tells him plainly that he that works not at all walks inordinately and eats not his own bread as if it were not his own if his own hands brought it not in and Ephes 4.26 Let him that stole steale no more but rather let him labour and work with his hands If he will not steale let him labour if he doe not labour he doth but steale even that which in common esteeme is his own For we must not think that they onely are theeves who doe vitam vivere vecticulariam who dig down walls by night or lye in wait upon the hills of the robbers Fur est qui rem contrectat alienum Festus in verb vecticularia v. ta he is a thief which makes use of that which is not his and then we may arraigne the ilde slothful person at this barre as guilty of this crime for he rosteth that which he never took in hunting he useth the creature Prov. 12.27 to which he hath no right He hath interdicted and shut himself out from the benefit of fire and water and all humane commerce he hath out-law'd and banisht himself from the world He hath rob'd himself for though he have plenty of all things yet idlenesse will blow upon it and blast it He robs the Common-wealth for Interest reipub ut quis re sua benè utatur private diligence is a publique good and the carefull managing of every mans estate is advantageous to the whole And last of all he robs his own soule of the service and Ministery of his body which was made a servant to it he robs his soule of his soule of all the power and activity it hath which serves for no use but to carry him to a feast and from thence to his bed where he lyes the picture and representation of himself of what he was when he was awake and will be yet more like himself when he is in his grave For here he is but a walking talking breathing shadow nay dead compassed about with stench and rottennesse whilst many evil spirits hover over his grave many temptations are ready to seize on him and we may say of him as Seneca did of his friend Vatia hic situs est In this world he doth not live but is buryed Senec. ep 55. I might here bring to this barr those cloyster'd Monks and Fryars who leave the world as men doe virtue and learning not because they loath and detest it but because the way unto them is hard and rugged leave the world to enter into a paradise where all things grow up of themselves and of many of them that of Martin Luther who was himself once a Monk is true Monachos ignavia fecit Idlenesse hath made more Monks then Religion who leave not the world for Christ but shadow themselves under their Coule and his name that they may the more quietly enjoy it But to passe by these as none of our Horizon A sort of Christians there are and they think themselves of the best sort we may call them Monks at large as idle as they but not cloyster'd up who though they labour for the things of this world because they love them well yet look not upon their labour as any acceptable service to God but break it off many times most unnecessarily and leave their duty behind them to goe up with the Pharisee into the Temple not to pray but to heare a Sermon and then return back to their shop and commend and confute it Heare and doe not but doe the contrary They call it devotion but it is the Itch and wantonnesse of the Eare which wasts their devotion and sometimes their estates this they delight in and this is their Religion nothing but words and noyse to this they sacrifice their time which is due to their calling and then too oft redeeme it with fraud and couzenage which hath so often been presented to them as the gall of bitternesse even in the dish which they love The word of God can we heare it too oft Yes if we doe not practice it or if we practice the contrary if we can goe from the mount and break the law whilst yet the thunder is in our Eare. I may ask with the Apostle Is all the body hearing doth all Religion dwell in the eare Nay I will add further doth all Religion consist in prayer For what I must answer these men as Saint Austin did the Monks in his time are we not bound alike to all the precepts of God or may we lay out all our time in the performance of one duty and leave none for the rest shall the eare rob the tongue and the tongue the hand August de Oper. Monach. shall one duty swallow up another Si ab his avocandi non sumus nec manducandum est If we may not sometimes break off our devotion we must break another precept which binds us to work with our hands and yet we need not so break it off Sudans mâ—ssor psalmis se avocat curva atrundens vites falce vinitor aliquod Davidicum canit Hieron Marcell but that we may carry it along with us even carry the savour of it which may mingle it self with the actions of our calling and so perfume them and make them pleasing and acceptable to God Arator stivam tenens Hallelujah cantat saith Saint Hierom the husbandman may pray and praise the Lord and sing an Hallelujah at the plough taile and so may the smith with the hammer in his hand and certainly if we would entertain them Religion and Devotion would wait upon us even in our shops and be the best attendants we have would make us honest and make us rich Palladius in his Lausiaca tells us of a certain virgin who said seven hundred prayers in a day Take the glosse in the margent for it much took me when I first read it Decem orationes constitutae publicis rebus occupato non minoris pretii sunt quà m tercentum nihil agentis Ten prayers saith the glosse made by a man imployed in publick affaires or in his own private calling are of as high an esteeme and of force availeable as three hundred conceived or uttered by him who doth nothing but pray I may be bold to adde he that heares but one
before the Lord and bow my self before the high God Shall I come before him with burnt-offerings c. MICAH v. 8. He hath shewed thee O man what is good and what doth the Lord require of thee but to doe justly to love mercy and to walk humbly with thy God THere be many who say Who will shew us any good saith the Pophet David Ps 4.6 For Good is that which men naturally desire and here the Prophet Micah hath fitted an Answer to this Question He hath shewed thee O man what is good And in the discovery of this Good he useth the same method which the Philosopher doth in the description of his Morall Happinesse First shews us what it is not and then what it is And as the Philosopher shuts out Honour and Riches and Pleasure as being so little necessary that we may be happy without them so doth the Prophet in the verses going before my Text in a manner reject and cast by burnt offerings and all the Ceremoniall and Typicall part of Moses law all that outward busie expensive and sacrificing Religion as no whit essentiall to that good which he here fixeth up as upon a pillar for all eyes to look upon as being of no great alliance or nearnesse nor fit to Incorporate it self with that piety which must commend us to God and as a true Prophet he doth not onely discover to the Jews the common error of their lives but shews them yet a more excellent way Non satis est reprehendisse peccntem si non doceas recti viam Columel de Re Rust l. 11. c. 1. first asking the question will the Lord be pleased with thousands of Rammes whether sacrifice be that part of Religion with which we may appear and bow before our God and be accepted and then in his answer in the words of my Text quite excluding it as not absolutely necessary and essentiall to that which is indeed Religion And here the question will the Lord he pleased with sacrifice adds Emphasis and Energy and makes the Denyall more strong and the Conclusion in the Text more positive and binding then if it had been in plain termes and formally denyed then this Good had been shewed naked and alone and not brought in with the spoyles of that Hypocrisie which supplants and overthrowes it and usurps both its place and name shall I come before him with burnt offerings is in effect I must not do it That which is good that which is Religion hath so little relation to it that it can subsist without it and most times hath been swallowed up and lost in it It was in the world before any command came forth for Sacrifice and it is now most glorious when every Altar is throwne down and hath the sweetest favour now there is no other smoke The Question puts it out of all question That this good is best without it What will the Lord do to the Husbandmen that killed the heire Math. 21.41 Our Saviour puts it up by way of question and you know how terrible the answer is what will he doe what will he not do 1 Cor. 11. He will miserably destroy those Husbandmen Is it comely that a woman pray uncovered Judge in your selves you cannot say it is comely As the Athenians used to ask the guilty person who was arraigned before them and by sufficient evidence convict of the crime Are you not worthy of death That they might first give sentence against themselves and acknowledge the sentence to be just which was to passe upon them so doth the Prophet here ask the sacrificing Jews who so doted on outward Ceremony that they scarce cast an eye or look towards that which was truly the service of God as if there were no more required at their hands then that which was to be done at the Altar shall you bring burnt offerings shall you offer up your first-born the fruit of your body for the sinne of the Soul your selves shall be witnesse against your selves and out of your own mouth shall you be condemned O ye Hypocrites you cannot be so ignorant as to think nor so bold as to professe that this is the true service of God I remember Gregory Nazianzen calls man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and we may call this good in the Text so a spirituall heavenly statue and as the statuary by his art and with his Chezell doth work off all that is unnecessary and superfluous and having finisht and made it compleat in every part fixeth it as the lively representation of some God or Goddesse or Heroick person whose memory he would perpetuate in the minds of those who are to look upon it so doth the Prophet Micah here being to delineate and expresse the true servant of God in his full and perfect proportion first out of the Lump and Masse which made up the body of the Jews Religion strikes off that which was least necessary and most abused all that formality and outward ceremony in which they most pleased themselves Burnt offerings and calves of an year old these he layes aside as that which may be best spared as that which God did not require for it self or for any good there was naturally in it and then draws him out in every part in those parts which do indeed make him up in that perfection in which he may shine as a great example of eternall happinesse Wherewith shalt thou come before the Lord and bow thy self before the high God not with burnt offrings those he puts by as no essentiall materialls as the scurfe and least considerable part of Religion but with thy heart and with thy will and affections with a Just and mercifull and Broken heart with these thou shalt walk with him or before him even with Justice and Mercy and Humility with those graces which will make thee like unto him and transforme thee into the Image of God and set thee up as a faire statue and representation of thy maker He hath shewed thee O man what is good c. Or if you please you may conceive of true piety and that which is good as of a tree of life planted in the midst of Paradise in the midst of the Church spreading as it were its Branches whereof these 3. in the Text are the fairest 1. Justice and uprightnesse of conversation a streight and even Branch bearing no fruit but it s own 2. Mercy and Liberality yielding much fruit to those weary and faint soules who gather it and are refresht under the shadow of it and 3. Humility a Branch well laden full and hanging down the head More plainly and for our better proceeding thus He taketh away the one that he may establish the other He taketh away Ceremony and Sacrifice that he may set up true piety and that which is Religion indeed which here is first termed That which is good in it self and for it self which sacrifices and all other Ceremonious parts of Gods worship were
mixture of a Sacrificer and an Oppressor of a Christian and a Deceiver of a Faster and a Blood-thirsty man And as he was most enraged and impatient a◠Tertullian tells us to see the works of God brought into subjection under man who was made according to his image so is it his pride and glory to see man and Religion it self brought under these transitory things even made fervants and slaves unto them O! to this hater of God and man it is a kind of heaven in hell it self and in the midst of all his torment to see this man whom God created and redeemed to do him the greatest service in Christs livery to see him promote his Interest in the name of Christ and Religion to see him under his power and dominion most when he waits most diligently and officiously at the Altar of God The Pharisee was his beloved disciple when he was on his knees with a dissigured face These Jews here were his disciples who did run to the Altar but not from their evil waies who offered up the blood of beasts to God and of the innocent to him he that fasts and oppresses is his disciple for he gives God his body and the Devil his soule He that prayes much and cozens more is his disciples for he doth but flatter God and serves the enemy speaks to a God of truth with his lips but hearkens to the Father of lyes and deceit I may say the divel is the great Alchymist of the world to transelement the worst things to make them more passible to add a kind of esteeme and glory to them We do not meet with Counterfeit Iron or Copper but gold and precious stones these we sophisticate and when we cannot dig them out of the mine or take them from the rock we strive to work them by art out of Iron or Copper or glasse and call them gold and diamonds Thus doth the Devil raise and sublime the greatest impiety and gild it over with a sacrifice with a fast with devotion that it may appeare in glory and deceive if it were possible the very elect we see too many deceived with it who having no Religion themselves are yet ready to bowe down to its Image wheresoever they see it and so fix their eye and devotion upon it that they see not the theef the oppressor the Atheist who carries it along with him to destroy that of which it is the Image but take it for that which it represents as little children and fooles take pictures and puppets for men Is he unclean who sees that when he is at the Altar doth he defraud his brother who would say so that should see him on his knees hath he false weights and ballances It is impossible for you may see him every day in the temple are his feet swift to shed blood It cannot be for he fasteth often behold how he hangs down his head like a bulrush The veine of gold is deep in the earth and we cannot reach it but with sweat and industry true piety and that which is good is a more rare and precious thing then gold and the veines of it ly deep its originall is from heaven in Christ at a huge distance from our carnall desires and lusts and so requires great anxiety strong contention and mighty strivings to reconcile it to our wills This pearle is as it were in a far country and we must sell all to purchase it the whole man must lose and deny it self to search and find it out we must lay down all that we have our understandings our wills and affections at his feet that sells it And therefore that we may not trouble nor excruciate our selves too much that we may not ascend into heaven or go down into hell for it that we may not undergoe so much labour and endure so much torment in attaining it e take a shorter way and work and fashion something like unto it which is most contrary to it and transelement impiety it self and shadow it over with devotion and publish it to others and say within our selves this is it For what Seneca said of Philosophy is true of Religion Adeo res sacra est ut siquid illi simile sit etiam mendacium placeat It is so sacred and venerable a thing that we are pleased with its resemblance and that shall soone have its name that hath but its likenesse that shall be the true pearle which is but counterfeit and by this means all Religion is confined to the Altar and that shall consecrate that which is not good and make it appeare so That piety which came from the bosome of the Father and was conveighed to us by the wisdome of the Sonne must be shut up in outward worship in formality and Ceremony and shew and that which quite destroyes it and tramples it under our feet must go under that name and make us great on earth though it make us the least in the kingdome of heaven so that we shall have no place there but be tumbled down into the lowest pit As the Prophet Isaiah speaks in his first chapter Argentum nostrum versum est in scoriam our silver is become drosse our wine is mixt with water nay our best silver our most refined actions are drosse our wine is gall and bitternesse or as he speaks in another place c. 30. all our Righteousnesse and he means such formal counterfeit righteousnesse is as a menstruous cloth Again in the last place This formality and insincerity is most opposite to God who is a God of truth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unissimus a most single and uncompounded essence with whom there is no variablenesse nor shadow of changing saith Saint James no mixture nor composition of divers or contrary things His justice doth not thwart his mercy nor his mercy disarme his justice his providence doth not bind his power nor his power check his providence what he is he alwaies is like unto himself in all his waies Tertullian gives him these two proprieties Tert. de Bapt. c. 2. simplicitatem potestatem simplicity or uncompoundednesse and power He is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the singlenesse of all that are of a pure and single heart Dionrs de Divin Nomin and hence the strictest Christians in the first times were called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith the Father viri singulares men that were one in themselves of a single heart who did strive and presse forward as far as mortality and their fraile condition would suffer them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the divine unity to be one in themselves as God is ever most one and unity it self For God who gave us our soul looks that we should restore it to him one and entire not contemplating heaven and wallowing in the mire not feeding on Ceremony and loathing of purity not busie at the Altar and more busie in the world The Civilians will tell us dicitur res non reddita
fitted to times of peace and fitted to times of tumult establisht and mighty against all occurrences all alterations all mutations whatsoever There is no time wherein a man may not be just and honest wherein he may not be merciful and compassionate wherein he may not be humble and sincere A Tyrant may strip me of my possessions but he cannot take from me my honesty he may leave me nothing to give but he cannot sequester my compassion he may lay me in my Grave but my Humility will raise me up as high as Heaven The great Prince of the Aire and all his Legions of Devils or men cannot pull us back or stop us in the course of our obedience to the Will and Law of God but we may continue it and carry it along through honour and dishonour through good report and evil report through all the terrors and affrightments which Men or Devils can place in our way What he requires he required and it may be done yesterday and to day and to the endof the world And as his Wisdome is seen in giving Lawes so it is in fitting the Means to the End in giving them that virtue and force to draw us to a neerer vision and sight of God whose wisdome reacheth from one end to another mightily and doth sweetly order all things Wisd 8.1 For which way can frail Man come to see his God but by being like him what can draw him neere to his pure Essence but simplicity and purity of spirit what can carry us to the God of love but Charity what can lead him into the Courts of Righteousnesse but Justice what can move a God of tender mercies but Compassion For certainly God will never look down from his Mercy-seat on them that have no Bowells In a word What can make us wise but that which is good Those virtues Temperance Justice and Liberality which are called the Labours of wisdome Wisd 8.8 what can bring us into Heaven but this full Taste of the powers of the world to come so that there is some Truth in that of Gerson Gloria est gratia consummata Glory is nothing else but Grace made perfect and consummate For though we cannot thus draw Grace and Glory together as to make them one and the same thing but must put a difference between the Meanes and the End yet Wisdome it self hath written it down in an indelible character and in the leaves of eternity That there is no other key but this Good in the Text to open the Gates of the Kingdome of Heaven and he that brings this along with him shall certainly enter Heaven and Glory is a thing of another world but yet it begins here in this and Grace is made perfect in Glory And therefore in the last place his Absolute will is not onely attended with Power and Wisdome but with Love and these are the Glories of his Will He can do what he will and he will do it by the most proper and fittest meanes and whatsoever he requires is the Dictate of his Love When he sent his Son the best Master and wisest Lawgiver that ever was on whose shoulders the Government was laid he was usher'd in with a Sic dilexit so God loved the world Iohn â— and his love seems to have the preeminence and to do more then his power which can but annihilate us but his love if we embrace it will change our soules and Angelifie them and change our bodies and spiritualize them and endow us with the will and so with the power of God make us differ as much from our selves as if we were not Annihilated which his power can do but which is more made something else something better something neerer to God which is that mighty Thing which his Love brings to passe We may imagine that a Law is a meer indication of power that it proceeds from Rigor and Severity that there is nothing commanded nothing required but there is Smoke and Thunder and Lightning but indeed every Law of God is the Naturall and proper effect and Issue of his Love from his power 't is true but his power mannaged and shewn in Wisdome and Love For he made us to this End and to this End he requires something of us not out of any Indigency as if he wanted our Company and Service for he was as Happy before the Creation as after but to have some object for his Love and Goodnesse to work upon to have an Exceptory and vessel for the dew of Heaven to fall into as the Jews were wont to say Propter Messiam mundum fuisse conditum That the world and all mankind were made for the Messias whose businesse was to preach the Law which his Father said unto him Psal 2.7 and to declare his will And in this Consists the perfection and Beauty of Man for the perfection of Every Thing is its drawing neere to its first principle and Originall and the neerer and liker a thing is to the first cause that produced it the more perfect it is as the Heat is most perfect which is most intense and hath most of the Fire in it And Man the more he partakes of that which is Truly Good of the Divine Nature of which his soul is as it were a sparkle the more perfect he is because this was the onely End for which God made him This was the End of all his Lawes that he might find just Cause to do him Good That man might draw neere to him here by Obedience and Conformity to his will and in the world to come reign with him for ever in Glory And as it is the perfection so is it the Beauty of a man for as there is the Beauty of the Lord Psal 27.4 so is there the beauty of the subject The Beauty of the Lord is to have will and power and Jurisdiction to have power and wisdome to command and to command in love So is it the beauty of a man to bowe and submit and conforme to the will of the Lord for what a deformed spectacle is a Man without God in this world which hath power and wisdome and love to beautifie it Beauty is nothing else but a result from perfection the beauty of the Body proceeding from the symmetrie and due proportion of parts and the beauty of the Soule from the consonancy of the will and affections to the will and law of God Oh how beautifull are those feet which walk in the wayes of life how beautifull and glorious shall he be who walks in love as God loved him who rests on his power and walks by his wisdome and placeth himself under the shadow of his love And thus much the substance of these words afford us What doth the Lord require Let us now cast an eye upon them in the Forme and Habit in which they are presented and consider the manner of proposing them and the Prophet proposeth it by way of Interrogation And as he ask'd
and every man is bound to all there is an instrument and obligation drawn between them a kind of counterbond to secure one from the other and it is written and sealed up in every heart and by the hand of God himself To do to others as we would have others to do to us if men would be but men would be what it was made for the security of the whole world thirdly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 how unblameably in respect of himself and his personall conversation for though we sacrse believe it or consider it as little as if it were not true we our selves are bound unto our selves and in all the assaults we make either against God or our neighbour the first injury we do is to our selves we are bound to our bodies not to make them the instruments and weapons of unrighteousnesse and we are bound to our soules not to pawn or sell them to our lusts we are bound to our flesh as a magistrate is in his office to beat it down and subdue it and so rule and govern it and we are bound to our reason not to enslave it or place it under the vanities of this world and if we break these obligations we are the first that rise up against our selves the first man that condemns a finner is the sinner himself se judice nemo nocens absolvitur In himself he beares about with him a court a seat of Justice from which no appeal lies his Reason is his Judge his Conscience is his accuser and he himself is his own prisoner and he crucifies and hangs himself up every day though no forreign authority arrest him And these three are linkt together as in a chain For when we make good our obligations to God and our selves we never fail in that which is due unto men and he that failes in doing justly to men hath ipso facto forfeited his obligation to God and himself for to do justly is a duty which he owes to God and himself as well as to others he that is not just is not holy and he that is not holy is an enemy to God and himself for God made him to this end and God requires it at his hands so that an unjust man at once breaks this threefold cord and is injurious to God to men and himself If we misse in one we are lost in all and are in a manner out-law'd from men banisht from our selves and so without God in this world We have a large field here to walk in but we must limit and confine our selves and passe by the justice of the publique Magistrate whose proper work it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 stand in the midst between two opposite sides till he draw them together and make them one to keep an equality even in inequality to use his power rescindendo peccatori in cutting off the wicked from the earth and taking the prey out of his mouth or else communi dividundo in dividing to every man his own possessions in giving Mephibosheth his own Lands for this is neither meant here in the text nor can it concern this Auditory Read the 10 11 12. v. of this chapter and you will see what Justice it is the Prophet here speaks of 10. Are there yet treasures of wickednesse in the house of the wicked and the scant measure that is abominable 11. Shall I count them pure with the wicked balances and with the bag of deceitfull weights 12. For the rich men thereof are full of violence and the inhabitants thereof have spoken lyes and their tongue is deceitfull in their mouth Is there yet the house of the wicked built by oppression and cemented with blood and will he not restore what he hath unjustly gained after so many warnings and threats Adhuc ignis in domo Impii so the vulgar Is there yet a fire in the house of the wicked not a Treasure but a Fire which will consume all so that Facere judicium to do justly in this place is not onely the duty of the magistrate and yet publick Justice is both a serpent and a rod not onely to bite and sting the guilty person but a rod or measure to measure out to every man his own measure but to do justly is to give every man his own not to lay hold on or alienate or deceitfully withdraw or violently force from any man that of which he is a lawfull possessor for quicqutd jure possidetur injuriâ aufertur that which I possesse by right cannot be taken from me but by injury And this is it which we call common honesty or private Justice and it binds my hand from oppression and robbery it seals up my lips from guile and slander it checks and fetters my fancy from weaving those Nets of Deceit which may catch my Brother and entangle him it limits my Hands my Wit my Tongue not to doe not to imagine not to speak that which may endamage him not to touch not to undermine his estate not to touch not to wound his reputation for Slander is a great injustice a kind of Murder jugulans non membra sed nomina saith Optatus to the Donatists not cutting off a limbe or member but mangling and defacing a good and fair name and even treading it in the dirt Private Justice is of a far larger extent then that which is Publique and speaks and acts from the Tribunall For Publique Justice steers by no other Compasse but the Laws of Men but this by the Laws of Nature and Charity which forbid many things which the Laws of Men mention not and restrain us there where Humane Authority leaves us in nostro mancipio to dispose of our selves as we please Nec enim quicquid honestum est legibus praecipitur for this Justice and Honesty binds us to that which no Law exacts for Law-givers are not Diviners or Prophets and they see little more then what is passed by them already or now before their eyes or which Probability hath brought so neere that they even see it as a thing which if not prevented will certainly come to passe They have not the knowledge of all that is possible nor of all things that are under the differences of times past present and to come nor can they fathome the depth and deceitfulnesse of their own hearts much leste of the hearts of other men which are fruitfull in evil and every day find out new inventions and multiply them every day For as Saint Austin spake of the Lawyers of his time Angust deved Dan. Imm. 19. Nulla Causa sine causa There was not a Cause brought to them which they could not so handle as that it should multiply in their hands and beget as many as they pleased so there is no fraudulent act Usu â—…atum est 〈◊〉 apu 〈…〉 c. Thras Paet apod Taâ—…t Annal. 15. which is not a step to another and that to a third and that is now a teeming ready to bring forth
one and the same and therefore to rise upon another mans ruines to enrich our selves by fraud and deceit is as much against nature saith Tully as poverty which pincheth it or grief which afflicts it or death which dissolves it for poverty may strip the body Ibid. grief may trouble it and death may strike it to the ground but yet they have a soul but injustice is its destruction and leaves a dead soul in a living body For as we have already shewn man is naturally 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a sociable creature but violence and deceit quite destroy all Society and Lully gives the same reason in his Offices which Saint Paul doth against Schisme in his Epistles 1 Cor. 12. If one member suffer all the members suffer with it and therefore the intent and purpose of all must be saith the Orator ut eadem sit utilitas uniuscujusque singulorum that the benefit of one and every man may be the same so that what deceit hath purloyned of stollen away or violence snatcht from others is not Profit because it is not honest Res surtiva quousque redierit in Comini potestatem perpetuò vitiosa est and the Civilians will tell us that that which is unjustly detained is not valuable is of no worth till it return to the hands of the lawfull proprietary Again in the second place Justice and Honesty are more agreeable to the nature of men then Profit or4 Pleasure For these reason it self hath taught us to contemne and he most enjoys himself who desires not pleasure and he is the richest man who can be poore and we are never more men then when we lest regard them but if we forfeit our integrity and pervert the course of Justice we have left our selves nothing but the name of men Si quod absit spes foelicitatis nulla saith Saint Austin If we had no eye to eternity nor hope of future happinesse Tull. Off. 3. Si omnes Deos hominesque celare possimus saith Tully if we could make darknesse a pavilion round about us and lye skreend and hid from the eyes of God and man yet a necessity would lye upon us to be what we are made to observe the lessons and dictates of nature saith one Nihil injustè faciendum saith the other nothingmust be done unjustly though God had no eye to see it nor hand to punish it and this doctrine is current both at Athens and Jerusalem both in the Philosophers School and in the Church of God To give you yet another reason but yet of neere alliance to the first whatsoever we do or resolve upon must habere suas causas as Arnobius speaks must be commended by that cause which produceth it now what cause can move us to desire that which is not ours what cause can the oppressor shew that he grinds the face of the poore the theef that he divides the spoile The deceitfull tradesman that he hath false weights Pondus pondus a weight and a weight a weight to buy with and a weight sell with If you ask them what cause they will eitherlye and deny it or put their hand upon their mouth and be ashamed to answer here their wit will faile them which was so quick and active to bring that about for which they had no reason it may be the cause was an unnecessary feare of poverty as if it were a greater sin then cosenage It may be the love of their children saepe ad avaritiam cor parentis illicit Foecunditas prolis Gregan 1 Iob c. 4. saith Gregory many children are as many temptations and we are soon overcome and yield willing to be evil that they may be rich and calling it the duty of a Parent when we feed and cloth them with our sinne or indeed it is the love of the world and a desire to hold up our heads with the best which are no causes but defects and sinnes the blemishes and deformities of a soul transformed after the image of this world These are but sophismes and delusions and of no causality For ti 's better I were poore then fraudulent better that my children should be naked then my soul better want then be unjust better be in the lowest place then to swim in blood to the highest better be drove out of the world then shut out of heaven It is no sinne to be poor no sinne to be in dishonor no sinne to be on a dunghill or in a prison it is no sinne to be a slave but it is a sinne and a great sinne to rise out of my place or either flatter or shoulder my neighbour out of his and to take his roome It is no sin to be miserable in the highest degree but it is a sinne to be unjust or dishonest in the least Iniquity and injustice have nothing of reason to countenance them and therefore must run and shelter themselves in that thicket of excuses must pretend want and poverty and necessity and so the object of my concupiscence must Authorize my concupiscence and the wedg of gold warrant my theft and to gain something is my strongest argument to gain it unjustly Ibid. And therefore Tully saith well If any man will bring in and urge these for causes argue not against him nor vouchsafe him so much as a reply omnino enim hominem ex homine tollit for he hath most unnaturally divided man from himself and left nothing but the beast Nature it self our first School-mistris loaths and detests it nor will it suffer us by any means to add to our own by any defalkation from that which is anothers and such is the equity of this position that the Civil Law alwaies appeales unto it videtur dolum malum facere qui ex aliena jactura lucrum querit He is guilty of cosenage and fraud who seeks advantage by another mans losse where by Dolus malus is understood whatsoever is repugnant to the Law of nature or equity For with the beames of this Law as with the beames of the Sun were all Humane Laws written which whip idlenesse which pin the Papers of Ignominy the best hatchments of a knave in the hat of the common barretter which break the teeth of the oppressor and turn the bread of the deceitfull into Gall upon this Basis this principle of nature whatsoever you would that men should do unto you even so do unto them hang all the Law and the Prophets For the rule of behaviour which our Saviour set up is taken out of the Treasury of nature and for this is the Law and the Prophets Matth. 7.2 that is upon this Law of nature depend the Law and the Prophets or by the due and strict observing of this the Law is fulfilled as Saint Paul speaks Rom. 13.8 or this is the summe of all which the Law and the Prophets have taught to wit concerning Justice and Honesty and those mutuall offices All. Lamprid. and duties of
not in it and do but talk on 't Math. 6.23 The light that is in them is darker then darknesse it self their judgment is corrupt their will is averse and looks another way from the Region of light Without faith 't is impossible to please God It is true but without Justice and Honesty faith is but a name for can we imagin that Religion should turn Theef and Devotion a Cutpurse To conclude then That you may do justly and walk honestly as in the day consider injustice oppression and deceit in their true shape and proportion and not dawbed over with untempered morter not disguised with the pleasures and riches of the world not vailed and drest up with pretences and Names which make them lovely and make them worse consider well and weigh the danger of them and from what they proceed For first If we would find out the fountain from whence they flow we shall find it is nothing else but a strange distrust in God and a violent love of the world a distrust in that God who is so far from leaving man destitute of that which is convenient for him that he feeds the young Ravens that call upon him For if the windows of heaven do not open at our call if riches increase not to fill our vast desires we murmure and repine and even chide the Providence of God and by foul and indirect meanes pursue that which would not fall into our mouths As aul in the book of Kings Acheronta movemus when God will not answer we ask counsel of the devil Secondly we may think perhaps that they are the effects of Power and Wisdome the works of men who beare a brain with the best that they are the glorious victories of our wit and Trophies of our Power but indeed they are the infallible Arguments of weaknesse and impotency and as the devils marks upon us Non est vera magnitudo pesse nocere It is not true power nor true greatnesse to be able to injure our brethren It is not true wisdome to be cunning artists in evil and to do that in the dark which may be done with more certainty and Honour in the light and to raise up that with a lye which will rise higher and stand longer with the truth That power more emulates the power of God by which we can do good That comes neerer by which we will nor can we attribute wisdome to the fraudulent but that which we may give to a Jugler or a Pick-purse or indeed to the Devil himself And commonly these scarabees are bred in the dung of Lazinesse and Luxury and their crafty insinuating their subtle sliding into other mens estate had its rise and beginning from an indisposition and inability to manage their own He that can bring no demonstration must play the Sophister and if the body will not do then he that will be rich saith Nevisanus the Lawyer must venture his soul Lastly weigh the danger of it for though the bread of deceit have a pleasant taste and goes down glibly yet passing to thee through so foul a chanel as fraud or oppression it will fill thee with the gall of Asps The robbery of the wicked shall destroy them saith Solomon Prov. 21.7 shall fall upon them like that talent of lead and fall upon the mouth of their Ephah and lye heavy upon it Serrabit eos as it is rendred by others shall teare their conscience as with a saw exossabit as others shall consume them to the very bones and break them as upon a wheele or as others Rapina eorum diversabitur That which is got unjustly shall not stay long with them It may give them a salutation a complement peregrinabitur like a traveller on the way it may lodge with them for a night but dwell longer as with a friend it will not but take the wing and fly away from these unjust usurpers never at rest but in those hands which are washt in innocency and in that mouth which knows no guile will dwell with none but those that do justly To conclude Tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man who doth that which is evil and unjust to the oppressor and deceiver to the man that boasteth himself in his power and to the man that blesseth himself in his craft to the proud Hypocrite and the demure Politician but to those that do justly that are as God is just in all their waies and righteous in all their dealings that walk holily before God and Justly with men shall be Glory and Honour and peace and immortality and eternall life Thus much of Justice and Honesty the next is the Love of Mercy but c. HONI â—…T QVI MAL Y PENSE The Five and Twentieth SERMON PART V. MICAH 6.8 He hath shewed thee O man what is good and what doth the Lord require of thee but to doe justly to love mercy c. WE have laid hold of one branch of this tree of life and beheld what fruit it bare we must now see what we can gather from the second Mercy or Liberality which grows upon the same stock and is watered with the same dew from heaven and brings forth fruit meet for repentance and answerable to our Heavenly calling whether you take it in actu elicito or in actu imperato whether you take it in the habit or in the Act which is misericordia eliquata that which runs from it in the melting as it were the love of mercy includes both both a sweet and heavenly disposition a rich treasurie of goodnesse full and ready to empty it self and those severall acts which are drawn out of it or rather which it commands And here though miracles be ceased yet by the blessing of a God of mercy it retains a miraculous power it heales the sick binds up the wounded raises the poor out of the dust and in a manner raises the dead to life again upholds the drooping and the fainting spirit which is ready to faile intercedes and fights against the cruelty of persecutors fills up the breaches which they make raises up that which they ruine clothes the naked whom they have stripped builds up what they have pulled down and is as a quickning power a resurrection to those whom the hand of wickednesse and injustice hath laid low and even buried in the dust A branch it is which shadows and refresheth all those who are diminished and brought low by oppression evil and sorrow And these too Justice and Mercy are neighbouring branches so enwrapped and entwined one within the other that you cannot sever them For where there is no Justice there can be no mercy and where there is no Mercy there Justice is but Gall and wormwood and therefore in the Scripture they go hand in hand unto the upright man there ariseth light in darknesse he is gracious and full of compassion and righteous Psal 112.4 There is an eye of Justice a single and upright eye as well as
in the very nature and constitution of the Church and it is as impossible to be a part of the Church without it as it is to be a man without the use of reason nay we so far come short of being men as we are defective in humanity All Christians are the parts of the Church and all must sustaine one another and this is the just and full Interpretation of that of our Saviour Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self and then thou wilt pity him as thy self Tolle invidiam tuum est quod habet Take away envy and all that he hath is thine and take away hardnesse of heart and all that thou hast is his Take away malice and all his virtues are thine and take away pride and thy Glories are his Art thou a part of the Church thou hast a part in every port and every part hath a portion in thee We are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 compacted together by that which every joynt supplies Eph. 4.16 a similitude and resemblance taken from the curtaines in the Temple saith learned Grotius Exod. 26. whereof every one hath its measure but yet they are all coupled together one to another v. 3. and by their loops which lay hold one of another v. 5. and like those curtains not to be drawn but together not to rejoyce not to weep not to suffer but together The word Church is but as a second notion and it is made a terme of art and every man almost saith Luther abuseth it draws it forth after his own image takes it commonly in that sense which may favour him so far as to leave in him a perswasion that he is a true part of it and thus many enter the Church and are shut out of heaven We are told of a visible Church and the Church in some sense is visible but that the greatest part of this Church hath wanted bowells that some parts of it have been without sense or feeling besmered and defiled with the blood of their brethren is as visible as the Church We have heard of an infallible Church we have heard it and believe it not for how can she be infallible who is so ready to design all those to death and hell who deny it If it be a Church it is a Church with hornes to push at the nations or an army with banners and swords we have long talked of a Reformed Church and we make it our crown and rejoycing but it would concern us to look about us and take heed That we do not reforme so as to purge out all compassion also for cercainly to put off all bowells is not as some zelots have easily perswaded themselves to put on the new man Talk not of a visible Infallible or a Reformed Church God send us a Compassionate Church a title which will more fit and become her then those names which do not beautifie and adorne but accuse and condemn her when she hath no heart What visible Church is that which is seen in blood what infallible Church is that whose very bowels are cruell what reformed Church is that which hath purged out all compassion visible and yet not seen infallible and deceived reformed and yet in its filth Monstrum Horrendum Informe This is a mishapen monster not a Church The True Church is made up of bowells every part of it is tender and relenting not onely when it self is touch'd but when the others are moved as you see in a well-set instrument if you touch but one string the others will tremble and shake And this sence this fellow-feeling is the fountain from whence this silver streame of Mercy flows the spring and first mover of those outward acts which are seen in that bread of ours which floats upon the waters in the face and on the backs of the poore for not then when we see our brethren in affliction when we look upon them and passe by them but when we see them and have compassion on them we shall bind up their wounds and poure in wine and oyle and take care for them For till the heart be melted there will nothing flow We see almes given every day and we call them acts of piety but whether the hand of Mercy reach them forth or no we know not our motions all of them are not from a right spring vain glory may be liberall Intemperance may be liberall Pride may be a benefactor Ambition must not be a Niggard Covetousnesse it self sometimes yeelds and drops a penny and importunity is a wind which will set that wheel a going which had otherwise stood still We may read large catalogues of munificent men but many names which we read there may be but the names of men and not of the Mercifull compassion is the inward and true principle begetting in us the love of Mercy which compleats and perfects and crownes every act gives it its true forme and denomination gives a sweet smell and fragrant savour to Maryes oyntment for she that poured it forth loved much Luk. 7.47 I may say compassion is the love of the Mercy plus est diligere quà m facere saith Hilary It is a great deal more to love a good work then to do it to love virtue then to bring it into act to love mercy then to shew it it doth supply many times the place of the outward act but without it the act is nothing or something worse It hath a priviledge to bring that upon account which was never done to be entitled to that which we do not which we cannot do to make the weak man strong and the poore man liberall and the ignorant man a counsellor For he that loves mercy would and therefore doth more then he can do as David may be said to build the Temple though he laid not a stone of it for God tells him he did well That he had it in his heart and thus our love may build a Temple though we fall and dye before a stone be laid Now this love of mercy is not so soon wrought in the heart as we may imagine as every glimmering of light doth not make it day It is a work of labour and travell and of curious observance and watchfulnesse over our selves It will cost us many a combate and luctation with the world and the flesh many a falling out with our selves many a love must be digged up by the roots before we can plant this in our hearts for it will not grow up with luxury and wantonnesse with pride or self-love you never see these together in the same soyle The Apostle tells us we must put it on and ◠the garments which adorn the soul are not so soon put on as those which clothe the body we do not put on mercy as we do our mantle for when we do every puffe of wind every distaste blows it away but mercy must be so put on that it may even cleave to the soul and be a part of it
That every thought may be a melting thought every word as oyle and every work a blessing Then we love mercy when we fling off all other respects and whatsoever may either shrink up or straiten our bowells or seale up our lips or wither our hands when we look upon the world but as our stage where we must act our parts and display the glories of mercy where we must waste our selves drop our teares run in to succour those who are roughly handled in it and thus tread it under our feet and then take our Exit and go out When we can forget our honour and remember the poore forsake all rather then our brethren and desire not to be rich but in good works when we have so incorporated out brethren into our selves that we stand and fall are happy and miserable together when we consider them as ingrafted into the same Christ and in him to be preferred before the whole world and to be lookt upon as those for whom we must dye Then we love mercy then we are mercifull as our heavenly Father is mercifull Thus if we be qualified we shall become the Temples and habitations of Mercy and as our bodies shall after their resurrection so our soules shall here have novas dotes shall be endowed with activity cheerfulnesse and purity And first our mercy will be in a manner Naturall unto us secondly it will be Constant thirdly it will be Sincere fourthly it will be Delightfull to us It will be Naturall not forced it will be Constant not flitting It will be Sincere not feigned and it will be Delightfull that we shall long to bring it into act And first we then love it when it is in a manner made naturall to us for we never fully see the beauty of it till we are made New Creatures and have new eyes then as the new creature cannot sin as Saint John speaks that is can doe nothing that is contrary and destructive to that forme which constitutes a new creature no more can a mercifull man doe any thing which will not savour of mercy and doth as naturally exercise himselfe in it as the Sunne doth send forth its beames or the Heavens their influence For the Spirit of God hath made his Heart a Fountain of Mercy as he made the Sun a Fountain of Light and if he break not forth into action it is from defect of means or occasion or some crosse accident which comes over him which doe but cloud and eclipse his mercy as the interposition of a grosse body doth the Sun but not put out its light at the very sight of Misery Mercy is awake up and either doing of suffering Who is weak 2 Cor. 11.29 and I am not weak saith Saint Paul who is offended and I burne not If I but see him weak I faint and if I see him vexed I am on fire Nature is active and will work to its end heavy bodies will descend and light bodies will mount upwards and Mercy will give and lend and forgive it cannot be idle Inquies opere suo pascitur Livi. pres it is restlesse and is made more restlesse by its work which is indeed its pleasure It is then most truly Mercy when it shews it self If occasion presents it selfe it soon layes hold of it If the object appeare it is carryed to it with the speed of a Thought and reacheth it as soone If there be no object it creates one if there be no occasion it studyes one Is there yet any left of the house of Saul that I may shew kindnesse to for Jonathans sake And Is there no Lazar to feed no Widow to visit no Wounds to bind up no weak brother to be restored none that be in darknesse and error to be brought into the light These are the Quaeres the true dialect this is the Ambition of Mercy It longs more for an occasion to vent it self then the Adulterer doth for the twilight layes hold of the least as of a great one thinks nothing too high nothing too low which it can reach is still in motion because it moves not like those Artificiall bodies by art or outward force but by a principle of life the spirit of love and so moves not as a clock which will stand still when the plummet is on the ground but its motion is Naturall as that of the spheres which are wheel'd about without cessation and return by those points by which they past and indeed may be said rather to rest then to move because they move continually and in the same place Misery is the point the object of mercy and at that it toucheth everlastingly mercy and misery still go together and eye each other the eye of misery looks up upon mercy and the eye of mercy looks down upon misery they are the two cherubins that have ever their faces one towards another and they are both full and ready to drop and run down the eye of misery is ever open and mercy hideth not her eye Prov. 28.27 By this you may judge of your acts of liberality and look upon them as those sacrifices with which God is pleased when you find something within you that enlargeth you that opens your mouth and hand that you cannot but speak and do when you find a heat within you that thaws and melts you that you poure out your selves on your brethren then your works of mercy are of a sweet smelling savour when love sets them on fire For secondly being made Naturall unto us it will be also constant it will be fixt in the firmament of the soul and shine and derive its influence uncessantly and equally doing good unto all men while it hath time that is at all times When the heart dissents from it self for love onely unites and makes it one when it is divisum cor a divided heart divided between God and the world when it hath inconstant motions and changeable counsells when it joynes with the object and leaps from the object willing to day and lothing to morrow this day cleaving to it and even sick for love as Ammon was with Tamar and the next thrusting it out of doores chusing without judgement and then altering upon experience In such a heart mercy cannot dwell and from hence it is that we see men every day so unlike themselves now giving anon oppressing now reaching out an Almes and by and by threatning with the sword now giving their brother the right hand of fellowship and within a while with that hand plucking him by the throat now pittying him that lyes in the dust and anon crying out So So Thus we would have it For indeed their pity and their rage their mercy and their cruelty have the same originall are raised upon the same ground the love of themselves and not of mercy and thus they do some acts of mercy magno impetu sed semel with much earnestnesse and zeale but not often like some birds whose
A body hast thou prepared me God sees thy Body as well as thy Soul and will have the knee the tongue the eye the countenance Auditur Philosophus dum videtur the Philosopher and so the Christian is heard when he is seen Thou art to walk with him or before him Come saith David Let us worship and fall down and kneel before the Lord our Maker Then you may best take Humilitie's picture when the Body is on the ground you may mark her how she bowes it down watch her in a teare take hold of her in a look follow her in all her postures till she faint and droop and lye down in dust and ashes Oh beloved the time was when men did so walk as if God had been visible and before them The time was when Humility was thought a vertue when Humility came forth in this dresse multo deformata pulvere with ashes sprinkled on her head her garments rent like a Penitentiary You might have beheld her kissing the chains of imprison'd Martyrs washing the feet of Lazars wallowing at the Temple doores begging the prayers of the Saints you might have seen her rent and torn stript and naked the haire neglected the eye hollow the body withered the feet bare and the knees of horn as Nazianzen describes it in his 12. Oration Then we humility not sunk into the soul but written and engraven in the body in Capitall letters that you might have run and read it But I know not how the Face of Christendome is much altered and humility grown stately hath bracelets on her Armes and rich Diamonds on her Head we have fed her daintily and set her upon her feet Walk humbly that we can without hat or knee with a merry and lofty countenance with a face set by our Ambition and even speaking our Pride and Scorn and we appeare in the service of God as in a thing below us and which we Honour with our Presence Humility with an Humble look a bowed knee a Bare Head a Composed Countenance away with it It is Idolatry and Superstition But let us not deceive our selves God hates the visor of humility but not her face If she borrow from art and the pencill she is deformed but appearing in her own likenesse in that dresse which God himself hath put her in she is lovely and shines upon those duties in which we are imployed and makes them so delightfull to behold 'T is true the thought may knock at heaven when the body is on the ground and when that 's shut up between two walls may measure out a Kingdome and the whole world may be too narrow for an Anchoret but it is as true That humility never seized on the mind but it draws the body after it If I lose my friend my look will tell you he is gone If a robber spoil all that I have there is a kind of devastation of the countenance but a wounded spirit who can beare If thy soul be truly humble thy bones will consume and thy marrow waste as David speaks Thy eye wax old and thou wilt forget to eat thy bread thou wilt goe heavily all the day long Think what we will pretend what we can flatter our selves as we please I shall assoone believe him chast whose eyes are full of Adulteries or who will sell a copyhold to buy Aretines pictures I shall as soon think him modest whose mouth is an open sepulchre him charitable who will sooner eat up twenty poore men then feed one as that man devote and humble in his heart who is so bold and irreverent in his outward gesture I cannot but look upon it as upon an impossibility to draw these two together a neglectfull deportment and humility for I cannot imagine nor can any man give me a reason why every Passion nay why every vice should shew it self in the outward man totâ corpulentiâ as the Father speaks in its full proportion and dimensions That Anger should shake the lips and set the teeth and dye the face sometimes with white sometimes with red that sorrow should make men put on sackcloth rend their garments beat their heads against the walls as Augustus did for the defeat and losse of Varus that even dissimulation it self should betray it self by the winking of the eye Prov. 10.10 That every vice and virtue should one way or other open it self and even speak to the eye onely Devotion and Humility should sink in and withdraw it self lurke and lye hid in the inward man as if it were ashamed to shew its head that we should be afraid to kneel afraid to be reverent that it should be a sinne to kneel a sin to be humble that to come and fall down or bow though it be in the house of God is to worship Dagon Reason and Religion help us and destroy every Altar and break down every image and burn it with fire and chase and banish all superstition from the face of the earth And let all the people say Amen But God forbid that reverence and those motions and expressions of humility which are the works and language of the heart should be swept out together with the rubbish that the wind which drives out superstition should leave an open way for Profanenesse and Atheisme to enter in And let all the people say Amen to that too For if we do not present our bodies as well as our soules a living sacrifice glorifying God in every motion of it as as we do in every conception of our mind Rom. 12.1 Our service cannot be a reasonable service of him and the same tempest may drive down before it religion and reason both S. Paul hath joyned them both together as in the purchase so also in the obligation 1 Cor. 6.20 Ye are bought with a price This is the Antecedent and then it follows necessarily therefore glorifie God in your bodies and your spirits which are Gods But this may seem too generall yet if we know what humility is we shall the better see how to walk humbly with our God but we will draw it neerer and be more particular And indeed to walk humbly with our God and to walk before him Gen. 17.1 to walk in his statutes Psal 119.1 to walk in the light of the Lord Is 2.5 to walk as in his sight differ not in signification nor present unto our understandings diverse things For all speake but this to walk as in his presence to walk as if he were a neer spectator as if he were visible before us not to shroud and mantle our selves not to run into the thicket as if there he could not see us but so to behave our selves as if he were a stander by an eye-witnesse of all our Actions to curb our fancy keep our tongue be afraid of every Action upon this certain perswasion That God is at hand For as God is Emanuel God with us when he blesseth us and doth us good so do we walk with God when we
the grave Consummatum est all is finished and he is returned victoriously with the spoils of his enemies and of this last enemy death But for all this his triumph death may be still the King of terrours and as dreadfull as before All is finisht on his part but a covenant consists of two and something is required on ours He doth not turn Conditions into Promises as some have been willing to perswade themselves and others It must be done is not thou shalt do it If thou wilt believe is not thou shalt believe But every promise every act of grace of his implies a condition He delivers those that are willing to be delivered who do not feed death and supply this enemy with such weapons as make him terrible All the terrour death hath is from our selves our sin our disobedience to the commands of God that 's his sting And our part of the covenant is by the power virtue of Christs death every day to be plucking it from him and at last to take it quite away We we our selves must rise up against this King of terrours and in the Name and Power of Christ take the Scepter out of his hand and spoile him of his strength and terrour And this we may do by parts and degrees now cut from him this sin now that now this desire and anon another and so dye daily as Saint Paul speaks dye to profit dye to pleasure dye to Honour be as dead to every temptation which may beget sin in us and a sting in him and so leave him nothing to take from us not a desire not a hope not a thought nothing that can make us feare death Then we shall look upon it not as a divorcement from those delights which we have cast off already or a passage into a worse condition from that we loved too well to that we never feared enough but we shall consider it as a sleep as it is to all wearied pilgrims as a message sent from Heaven to tell us our walk is at an end and now we are to lay down our staffe and scrip and rest in that Jerusalem which is above for which we vowed this pilgrimage Et quis non ad meliora festinat Tert. de patientia What stranger will be afraid to return to his Fathers house or lose that life quam sibi jam supervacuam fecit which by dying daily to the world he hath already made superfluous and unnecessary To conclude this He that truly fears God can feare nothing else nor is Death terrible to any but to those who would build their tabernacle here who love to feed with swine on husks because they have not tasted of the powers of the world to come who wish immortality to this mortall before they put it on who are willing to converse and trade with vanity for ever who desire not with David to be spared a little but would never goe hence Last of all It will moderate our sorrow for those our friends who are dead or rather fallen asleep or rather at their journeys end For why should any man who knows the condition of a stranger how many dangers how many cares how many stormes and tempests he was obnoxious to hang down the head and complain that he had now passed through them all and was set down at his journeys end why should he who looks for a City to come be troubled that his fellow pilgrime came thither and entred before him It might be a matter of holy Emulation perhaps but why it should afflict us with grief I cannot see unlesse it be because we have not made it our meat and drink to keep Gods commandments which might give us a taste of a better estate to come unlesse it be because we have not well learnt to act the part of a stranger Miserable men that we are that we will be that know not our own quality and condition that are strangers and yet unwilling to draw neer our selves or to see others come to their home but think them lost where they are made perfect We stand by the bed of our sick and dying friend as if he were now removed to a place of torment and not of rest and to be either nothing or more miserable then he was in a region of misery we send out shreeks and outcries to keep time with his gasps to call him back if it were possible from heaven and to keep him still under the yoke and harrow when as the fainting of his spirits the failing of his eyes the trembling of his joynts are but as the motion of bodies to their center most violent when they are neerest to their end And then we close up his eyes and with them our hopes as if with his last gasp he had breathed out his soul into aire when indeed there is no more then this one pilgrime is gone before his fellows one gone and left others in their way in trouble and more troubled that he is gone to rest Migrantem migrantes praemisimus saith Saint Hierom we are passing forward apace and have sent one before us to his journeys end his everlasting sabbath With this contemplation doth religion comfort and uphold us in our way and keeps us in that temper which the Philosopher commends as best in which we do sentire desiderium opprimere she gives nature leave to draw teares but then she brings in faith and hope to wipe them off Sen. ad Marciam she suffers us to mourn for our friends but not as men without hope Nature will vent and love is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith the Orator ever querulous and full of complaints when the object is removed out of sight and God remembers whereof we are made is not angry with our love and will suffer us to be men but then we must silence one love with another our naturall affection with the love of God at least divide our language thus Alas my Father Alas my Husband Alas my Friend but then he was a stranger and now at his journeys end and here we must raise our note and speak it more heartily Blessed are such strangers blessed are they that dye in the Lord even so saith the spirit that they rest from their labours For conclusion let us feare God and keep his commandments this is the whole duty of a stranger to observe those Lawes which came from that place to which he is going let these his Lawes be in our heart and our heart will be an elaboratory a limbeck to work the water of life out of the vanities and very dregs of world through which we are to passe It shall be as a rock firm and solid against every wave and temptation that shall beat against it and a shop of precious receipts and proper remedies against every evil It shall be spoliarium mortis a place where death shall be stript and spoiled of its sting and of its terrour In a word It
in his hand For the state and face of things may be such as may warrant Demosthenes wish and choice and make it more commendable in exilium ire quà m tribunal to go into banishment then to ascend the tribunal for he best deserves honour who can in wisdome withdraw himself he can best manage power who knows when to lay it down Bring him now from the publick stage of honour to his private house and there you might have seen him walking as David speaks in the midst of his house in innocency and with a perfect heart as an Angel or intelligence moving in his own sphere and carrying on every thing in it with that order and Decorum which is the glory of a stranger whose moving in it is but a going out of it to render an account of every act and motion you might have beheld him looking with a settled and immoveable eye of love on his wife walking hand in hand with her for forty foure yeares and walking with her as his fellow-traveller with that love which might bring both at last to the same place of rest You might behold him looking on his children with an eye of care as well as of affection initiating them into the same fellowship of pilgrims and on his servants not as on slaves Quid Servus Amicus humilis but as his humble and inferiour friends as Seneca calls them and as his fellow-pilgrims too and thus he was Domesticus Magistratus a Domestick Magistrate a lover and example of that truth which Socrates taught that they who are good Fathers of their family will make the best and wisest Magistrates they who can manage their own cock-boat may be fit at last to sit at the stern of the common-wealth for a private family is a type and representation of it nay saith Eusebius in the life of Constantine of the Church it self I confesse I knew but in his evening when he was neer his journeys end and then too but at some distance but even then I could discover in him that sweetnesse of disposition that courteous affabibility which Saint Paul commends as virtues but have lost that name with Hypocrites with proud and supercilious men who make it a great part of their Religion to pardon none but themselves and then think that they have put off the old man when they have put off all humanity In these Omilitick vertues I could discern a fair proficiency in this reverend Knight and what my knowledg could not reach was abundantly supplied and brought unto me by the joynt testimony of those who knew him and by a testimony which commends him to heaven and God himself the mouthes of the poor which he so often filled Thus did he walk on as a stranger comforting and supporting his fellow-Pilgrims and reaching forth his charity to them as a staffe Thus he exprest himself living and thus he hath exprest himself in his last Will which is voluntas ultra mortem the Will the Mandate the Language of a Dead man Speculum morum saith Pliny the Glasse wherein you may see the Charity that is the Face the Image of a Pilgrim by which he hath bequeathed a Legacy of Comfort and Supply a plain acknowledgement that he was but a stranger on the earth to every Prison and to many Parishes within this City and remembers them who are in bonds as one who himself was in the body and sometimes a prisoner as they I know in this world it is a hard thing Justum esse sine infamia to be good and not to heare ill expedit enim malis neminem esse bonum for evil men make it their work to deface every faire image of virtue and then think well of themselves when they have made all as evil as themselves but it was this our honoured brothers happinesse to find no accuser but himself I may truly say I never yet heard any but report hath given him an honourable passe the voice of the poor was He was full of good works the voice of the City he was a good Magistrate the voice of his equalls he was a true friend the voice of all that I have heard he was a just man and then our charity will soon conclude he was a good Christian for he lived and died a son of the Church of the reformed and according to the way which some call Heresy some Superstition so worshipped he the God of his Fathers And now he is gone to his long home and the mourners go about the streets He is gone to the grave in a full age when that was well neer expired which is but Labour and sorrow 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Cyril speaks grown in wisdom and grace which is a fairer testimony of age then the gray haires or fourscore yeares his body must return to the dust and his soul is return'd to God that gave it and being dead he yet speaketh speaketh by his Charity to the Poore speaketh by his faire example to his Brethren of the City to honour and reverence their Conscience more then their Purse vitamque impendere vero and to be ready to resign all even life it self for the truth he speaks to his friends and he speaks to his relict his virtuous and reverend Lady once partner of his cares and joyes his fellow-travellour and to his children who are now on their way and following a pace after him weep not for me why should you weep I have laid by my Staff my Scrip my provision and am at my journeys end at rest I have left you in a valley in a busie tumultuous world but the same hand the same provision the same obedience to Gods commands will guide you also and promote you to the same place where we shall rest and rejoyce together for evermore There let us leave him in his eternall rest with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob with all the Patriarchs and prophets and Apostles all his fellow-Pilgrims and strangers in the Kingdom of Heaven FINIS By the forced absence of the Author from the Presse besides many points mistaken these Errata have escaped which the Reader is desired to amend as he finds them PAg. 4. l. 12. r. Transacted p. 12. l. 23. r. riddle p. 25. l. 7.5 These will bring in p. 26. l. 39. r. not because he cannot but because he will not p. 27. l. 13. r. bought mortall pag. 33. marg Eulalia p. 39. l. 10. not p. 65. l. 14. cast himself into hell p. 83. ult this noise when PAg. 10. l. 5. for that hath p. 13. l. 14. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ibid. l. 19. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 14. l. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ibid. marg Tit. for Tim. ibid. l. 7. in them p. 16. c. 6. entered p. 17. l. 21. Sublunary p. 23. l. 39. be the cause p. 24. l. 25. founded on p. 35. l. 40. beautifying p. 45. l. 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 54. l. 30. for and are p. 58. l. 27. for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 63. l. 19. affectuall p. 75. l. 9. about p. 78. marg for Deus Duos p. 89. l. 30. breath of fooles p. 89. l. 32. abfuerunt p. 99. l. 8. of the object p. 100. l. 27. for innocence justice p. 104. l. 27. start back ibid. l. 30. intention ibid. l. 33. shunk p. 108. l. 40. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 118. l. 27. victo viâ for victoriâ p. 121. l. 4. worn out with p. 122. l. 7. steame p. 125. l. 32. maintaining some errours p. 126. l. 35. that which was p. 136. l. 31. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ibid. l. 42. measured out p. 137. l. 25. Adde that which is done often with that which is done alwaies p. 161. l. 9. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 192. l. 18. aegris p. 168. l. 33. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 178. l. 13. adde many times makes us speak what otherwise we would not p. 207. l. 15. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 208. l. 25. r. shines p. 228. l. 29. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 230. l. 16. r. the memory p. 241. l. 5. r. lifts us p. 242. l. 37. r. over that p. 244. l. 5. r. non exercere p. 240. l. 25. r. not his mercies p. 250. l. 13. r. to file and hammer them p. 251. l. 39. r. of their faith ibid. l. 43. r. and now this heartlesse p. 252. l. 25. r. but then p. 253. l. 6. r. God will do p. 260. l. 9. r. reviled p. 264. l. 1. r. usurp p. 266. l. 18. r. disarme death p. 283. l. 23. r. Salviguardium ibid. l. 34. Dele The third inference p. 300. l. 33. r. Petrus Damiani p. 304. l. 44. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 306. l. 15. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 307. l. 41. r. faceremus p. 325. l. 30. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 331. l. 24. r. wasting ourselves p. 337. l. 46. r. For want of this p. 338. marg for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 343. l. 9. r. the love of that p. 344. l. 3. r. sound p. 345. l. 3. r. as the occasion of sinne p. 350. l. 10. r. define them p. 351. l. 30. r. see in them p. 353. l. 37. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 354. l. 14. r. if he be p. 359. l. 20. r. and last of all p. 362. l. r. r. make us feel p. 363. l. 3. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 364. l. 14. adde which when we cannot fill up c. ibid. l. 41. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 368. l. 34. r. tune p. 370. l. 41. r. sticks it in them p. 373. marg r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 374. l. ult r. 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