Lord so that I may do and not only to know what to do And if knowing alone bee not enough what shall we say then for doing that may seem to be of it self all-sufficient for if a man do the will of God what can be more required Yes it is required also that ye know it as well as do it and if thou doe it not knowing it thou doest but lose thy labour For it is an infallible rule that without faith it is impossible to please God and it as infallible that without knowledge it is unpossible to have faith For how shall they beleeve in him of whom they have not heard Rom. 10.13 Without knowledge therefore there can be no faith without faith no pleasing of God and so it followeth necessarily that without knowledge there can be no pleasing of God and that he that doth the will of God not knowing it to be Gods will he doth but beat the air and labour in vain yea so far is he from pleasing God that hee doth directly displease and offend him for whatsoever is not of Faith is sin Rom. 14.23 If faith doth not draw it from the will of God as the original cause and direct it to the glory of God as the finall cause it will prove no better then sin Quia non actibus sed finibus pensant ur officia saith Mr. Calvin because our performances of duties are not weighed by the actions but by the ends Therefore St. Augustine calleth the good works and virtues of the heathen splendida peccata sins that make a fair shew And Cyprian writing on the Creed wisheth rather to doe sinfull works being a faithfull Christian then virtuous works being a faithlesse Pagan for whatsoever is done without faith and knowledge turneth unto sin Therefore as at first If ye know these things blessed are ye but how not unlesse ye do them so again If ye doe these things blessed are ye but how not unlesse yee know them Neither knowing alone nor doing alone can be sufficient to make us blessed but both must goe together If ye know these things blessed are ye if ye doe them And if it be not sufficient to have one of them alone how much more insufficient is it to want them both Some perhaps may think that it is no matter for works so long as they have no knowledge and that the want of th' one shall excuse the want of th' other that their ignorance shall excuse them Indeed Christ excuseth the Jews by their ignorance They wot not what they doe but yet he plainly intimateth that they were not innocent or guiltlesse in that he prayeth his Father to forgive them Father forgive them they know not what they do And St. Peter testifieth of them that that through ignorance they did it but yet hee doth not therefore hold them innocent for he bids them amend their lives and turn that their sins may be put away Act. 3.17 But this you may say was wilfull obstinate ignorance hear therefore that which may be understood of invincible ignorance Luk. 12.47 That servant that knew his Masters wil and prepared not himself to do it shall be beaten with many stripes His knowledge shall condemn him but he that knew not and did commit things worthy of stripes shall be beaten with few stripes his ignorance shall not excuse him Or at the least if it do somewhat excuse him in that he shall bee beaten but with a few stripes yet it shall not quite clear him for he shall be beaten with stripes It shall be easier for Sodom and Gomorrah saith Christ in the day of judgement then for that City Easier their ignorance may somewhat excuse them but yet hard enough and little ease for they suffered no doubt the flashes of hell in their consciences living the fuell of hell in their bodyes dying the Lord rained brimstone and fire upon them from heaven Gen. 19. and the flashes fuel and fire of hell in their soules departed for so St. Jude testifieth of them they suffer the vengeance of eternall fire And from such easinesse good Lord deliver us Though therefore it be easier in the comparative degree yet it is not so much as easie in the positive degree the word easier spoken there comparatively and relatively is not so much as the word easie spoken positively and simply It was but little ease then that their ignorance brought them even such as belong to them that know not God that is Christ shall come in flaming fire and render vengeance to them 2 Thes 1.3 Ignorance then is as far from making innocent as knowing alone or doing alone is from making blessed Ignorance cannot excuse us knowing cannot suffice us doing cannot suffice us but ignorance being put away knowing and doing must both come together If ye know these things blessed are ye if yo do them Here are those two Sisters so loving to and so beloved of Christ Martha and Mary the one studying to know if ye know these things th' other earnest to doe them if ye doe them the one stuffing her head with Doctrine if ye know these things th' other filling her hands with practise if ye do them the one diligent in speculative contemplation if ye know these things th' other as busie in practique operation if yee do them Here is Jacobs Ladder touching heaven with the top if ye know these things and reaching earth with the foot if ye do them Here is Aaron the Priest If ye know these things holding up the hands of Moses the Law if yee doe them Here is St. Paul for Faith if ye know these things shaking hands with St. James for Works if yee doe them Here is the Philosophers Arbor transversa a Tree turned upside down the root upwards if ye know these things the fruits downward if ye do them Here are those two not Meteors but true lights Castor and Pollux which when they appear together are surely prosperous to all that sail in the sea of this life Here is calor humor the heat of Faith the moisture of Workes both of them so necessary to the life of the soul that if either of them doe faile or exceed the other it breedeth death or dangerous sicknesse Here is Oleum flamma the flame of Faith the oyle of Works if either of them be wanting or superabounding the light of your conversation will soon goe out Here is Urim and Thummim light and perfection eyes and hands faith and works the two Cherubims knowing and doing turning both their faces toward the Mercie-seat of blessedness If ye know these things blessed are ye if ye do them Blessed are ye which is the reward of our knowing and doing and is the last thing that I have before observed in the Text. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which I crave leave to read blessed for the Translators doe allow it in as much as though here they render it happy yet nine times together they read it
we flea the backs of beasts we pluck the plumes of birds And when we have searched both sea and land for dainties to feed it at last it self must be meat for worms And when wee have built stately Castles wherein to lodge it at last it must lie in a narrow grave or stinking toomb And when wee have rob'd all creatures for rich ornaments wherewith to cloth it at last it self must put on corruption If then with the Peacock we would turn our eyes from our plumes and behold our black legges that is consider our foundation or if with that proud King Dan. 2. we would take notice as well of the clay feet as of the golden head and silver body of our image we should easily perceive that it is subject to falling and that all our glory and pride must come down to the dust And so much of the first consideration expressing mans vilenesse namely the consideration of his corporall estate or condition both in respect of his beginning and of his ending Again mans vilenesse also appears in consideration of his temporall estate and condition and that both in respect of the miseries of his life and also of the shortnesse of his life First for the miseries of his life they be so many that I cannot propose to speak of them all I will but touch upon his defects wants and failings in the chiefe supplies of life that is food and rayment which will the more appear if we compare our selves with the bruit and unreasonable creatures For in both those kinds of things how easily and readily are other creatures sped and furnished and how hardly doth man get them First for food Consider the Ravens saith our Saviour they neither sow nor reap they have neither storehouse nor barn Lu. 12.24 But this is mans portion Gen. 3.19 In the sweat of thy face thou shalt eat bread He must sweat for his bread before he hath it he must plow before he can sow and sow before he can reap and reap and thrash and winnow and grind and Bake and all before he can eat Such a world of work hath hee with a little grain of Wheat before he can make it fit sustenance to his body And for his raiment the case is much alike For whereas all other creatures are naturally clothed every one with his own coat some with wooll some with hair some with fur some with feathers onely man poor naked creature hath nothing of his owne to put on but must be ber holding to other creatures for every thing that he doth wear to the earth for his linnen to the sheep for his woollen to the wormes for his silkes to the birds tailes for his choisest and daintiest feathers that come so near the incest noses And indeed if every bird should take his own feather if every creature should exact and take from us what we have taken from them the sheep his woollen the Earth its linnen and so the rest then should man be left like Aesops Crown Moveat cornicula risum furtivis nudata coloribus All creatures may laugh at our nakednesse when we are stript of our borrowed feathers Neither do wee onely borrow our clothing of other creatures but we must take a great deal of paines with that which we do borrow before it will be fit for our use as may appear in the wooll our most ordinary wearing which requires as great plenty and as much variety of labour before it comes to our backs as the wheat doth before it comes to our mouths Thus is man born to labour as the sparks fly upward Job 5.7 To which difficulties of getting if yee will add the consideration of the hazard of keeping and the disquietnesse of losing which all are subject to in all temporall things then I doubt not but yee will be ready to subscribe to that of the preacher Eccles 1.14 I have seen all the works that are done under the Sun and behold all is vanity and vexation of spirit Vse 1. And that we passe not this without some use and benefit let us in the first place consider what should be the cause thereof and what hath brought man so much below other creatures for in his Creation he was the King of creatures and therefore no lesse happy then they what then should be the cause of this alteration It was sinne beloved it was sinne that cursed offspring of hell that was the bane of all our blessedness It was sin that made a separation between God us It was sin that tumed our glory into shame our joy into sorrow our quiet into trouble our happinesse into misery our immortality into mortality For as soon as Adam had sinned the curses came over his head like waves in a stormy Sea Cursed is the earth for thy sake in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the daies of thy life thornes also and thistles shall it bring forth unto thee and dust thou art and to dust thou shalt return Thus ye see that sin was the mother of all our mischief sin was the bane that poisoned us sin was the serpent that stung us even unto death for the wages of sin is death Rom. 6.23 And yet such is our foul folly and monstrous madnesse we are not yet out of love with this ugly monster of Hell that hath wrought us all this woe and misery We are more foolish then the silly sheep for though they feed upon their own bane yet they do it ignorantly not knowing that it will poison them but wee draw on sin with cart ropes Is 5.18 and drink iniquity like water Job 15.16 and yet we know it is most deadly bane and poyson to our soules We are more mad then Aesops Husbandman who finding a snake in the cold weather frozen in the field brought it home and warm'd it it at the fire For he did it before he was stung or had received any harm But we do not warm and revive but hatch and cherish not a snake but sin that is a serpent worse then Hydra not at our fires but in our brests and bosoms not that onely will sting us but that hath already stung us as aforesaid unto death They say that burnt children fear the fire and yet we ripe enough in age yet too childish in understanding cannot beware of the fire of sin which hath already burnt down the house of our happinesse and consumed our glory and laid all our honor in the dust but like the frantick Satyr we be in love with this fire and fall to imbracing it like the foolish fly we play with this flame till both our wings of faith and love be scorched and our soules fall headlong into Hell Flee therefore and avoid all manner of sin for it is the bane that poysoneth us it is the serpent that stingeth us it is the fire that will utterly consume us unlesse it be quenched by the tears of repentance and the blood of Christ 2. Vse Again
doth not slightly neglect it Lazarus was carried by the Angels into Abrahams bosom as Christ testifieth Luk. 16.22 and Moses his dead body was protected and defended against the Devill by an Angel yea by Michael the Archangel as St. Jude testifieth Iude 9. Behold then your happiness all yee that serve God for when or where or howsoever death shall finde you God doth not then lose you your soul and body shall be parted but neither of them parted from God the one goes to joy the soul fleeth to God that gave it Eccl. 12.7 the other to rest Blessed are they that die in the Lord they rest from their labours Rev. 14.13 by whatsoever casualty or cruelty therefore thine own or thy friends death cometh grieve not lament not despaire not feare not for not onely the soules of the righteous are in the hand of the Lord Wisd 3.1 but their whole persons All Saints are in thy hand Deut. 33.3 Tyrants cannot kill the soul at all nor yet the body without Gods observance nor yet destroy it past his preservance but every faithfull one in every kind of death may comfortably yeeld himself unto God as unto a faithfull Creator 1 Pet. 4.19 with Davids assurance of safety Psal 4.8 I will lay me down in peace and take my rest for thou Lord only makest me dwell in safety And thus much for the first part of my Text Gods approbation of Moses Now for the latter part his ordination of Joshua Now therefore arise Ye may understand Joshua's name for it is to him spoken Note that God calleth Joshua and whereto he calleth him 1. That he calleth him and that Joshua stirreth not without bidding For Great places must have great and strong calling Moses was afraid to undertake his charge yea even contended with God by urging his disability Exod. 4. Jeremiah crieth out Behold I cannot speak for I am but a child Jer. 1.6 And of the Priesthood it is said No man taketh this honour to himself but he that is called of God as was Aaron Heb. 5.4 Yea who is sufficient for these things 2 Cor. 2.16 Woe be then to the corruption of our times in rising to places Doe they come without calling No for they call themselves I have not sent these Prophets saith the Lord yet they ran Jer. 23.21 But let unlookt for Guests beware of that unlookt for question Friend how camest thou in hither Mat. 22.12 Doe they rise without bidding No but it is in a contrary kinde to that which should bee for instead of Gods bidding them by the motions and bidding for them by the gifts of his spirit they bid for themselves by gifts and summes as the place is worth in a wordly eye But wo be both to the receivers and givers of such biddings To the receivers for what difference is there between Balaams going and their setting others to goe for reward Or what difference between Judas his betraying Christ and their betraying the Church the body of Christ for money May not all such taking bee justly called the wages of iniquitie To the givers for God hath ordained that spirituall things shall buy temporall If we have sowen unto you spirituall things is it a great thing if we reap your carnall things 1 Cor. 9.11 Not that temporal shall buy spirituall they that offer that are in the gall of bitternesse and in the bond of iniquity Act. 8.23 They may boldly say to their people Dearly beloved brethren for their charge cost them dear it was a dear bargain dear to their purses dearer to their consciences but dearest of all without repentance to their soules That is the right golden hook they fish withall And yet indeed they speake falsly in calling the people Dearly beloved for it is not the people but the profit that they love They cannot say with Saint Paul I seek not yours but you 2 Cor. 12.14 But contrariwise I seek not you but yours So much of Joshua's being called Now whereto he is called Arise This implyeth Honour and Labour 1. Honour For Great places yeeld honour to the possessors Joshua was at first Moses's Minister or servant now hee be the peoples head or governour Therefore he must arise that is take greater degree of honour Hereto agreeth that speech of lifting up He lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill to set him among Princes 1 Sam. 2.8 Thou art the lifter up of my head Psal 3.3 and this is confirmed by that 1 Pet. 2.17 Honour the King and by the Commandement Honour thy Father and Mother Let Superiours honour then bee maintained by themselves and by others By themselves the higher they are raised the more they are in the peoples sight the more care they need to take of themselves they are the light of the world and as a Citty set upon a hill that cannot be hid Mat. 5.14 By others For wee must give every man his due custome to whom custome fear to whom fear honour to whom ye owe honour Rom. 13.7 For God is not the author of confusion 1 Cor. 14.33 But he will have every man known and acknowledged in his degree to the fulfilling whereof he requireth a kinde of strife and contention who shall doe most In giving honour prevent or go before one another Rom. 12.10 2. Labour For Great places require great labours To arise argueth no sleepy idlenesse but painfull practise honos onus cannot be divided every honour hath its burthen the words sound alike and there is not much oddes in the letters nor in the number of them but one which is an aspiration the peoples breath his rising here is not as Exod. 32.6 The people sate down to eat and drink and rose up to play It is no play game but a matter of laborious consequence he must arise and goe over Jordan It was labour in leading more in ruling most in fighting It is said of Christ Is 9.6 The government is upon his shoulders and Exod. 28.12 Aaron likewise must bear the names of the twelve Tribes upon his two shoulders And it is generally true that Governement is a shoulder worke a burthen requiring strength and industrie Let every one therefore from the highest to the lowest that hath had any rising above others look to his labour and charge therein for even the meanest Master or Father that is risen to be over a Family is therein risen to labour Hee hath others to answer for as well as for himself Duxit uxorem altera cura nati liberi altera cura If he have married a Wife he hath another charge if he have children he hath another charge the greater his charge the greater his place is the greater is his labour and therefore the greater should be his care for hee may bee sure his accompt will bee greater and his reward will bee greater if he accompt well and his punishment greater if ill For to whomsoever much is given of him much shall be required Luk. 12.48 And now
body 7. It was but an Oaken bough wherein Absaloms head was entangled but it was a sharp thorny bush wherewith Christs head was wreathed 8. In a word Absaloms story was a right Tragedy for it began merrily he invited his brethren to a Feast but it ended mournfully he and his followers were put to the sword but Christs story was more and worse then tragicall for his birth his life his death began continued ended with no mirth at all but with continuall mournfull misery But that I may proceed orderly in this my discourse I propose these three chief parts or points of the Text to be observed 1. The sufferer Christ 2. His sufferings hath suffered 3. The cause of his sufferings for sins Concerning the sufferer we are to consider who hee was and what he was who in his person what in his office The former the Prophet plainly sheweth Is 9.6 Unto us a child is born and unto us a Sonne is given Parvulus a Child that noteth his humanity Filius a Sonne that noteth his Deity Parvulus a Child even man of the substance of his Mother born in the World Filius a Sonne even God of the substance of his Father begotten before the World Parvulus a Child behold his humility She brought forth her first born Son and wrapped him in swadling clothes and laid him in a manger Luk. 2.7 Filius a Son behold his dignity When he bringeth in his first begotten Son into the world he saith and let all the Angels of God worship him Heb. 1.6 That hee was man there is proof It is enough to the purpose to say seeing it is a saying undenyable he was born he lived he dyed That he was God there is proof St. Peter saith They killed the Prince of life Act. 3.15 and St. Paul saith they crucified the Lord of glory 1 Cor. 2.8 Yea that God hath purchased his Church with his own blood Act 20.28 That he should be man there was reason For man had sinned therefore man must be punished By a man came death therefore by a man must come the resurrection of the dead Man was the offender therefore man must be the satisfier Angels could not do it they had no bodies to suffer the bruit sensible creatures could not do it they had no soules to suffer The insensible creatures could not doe it they had no sense to suffer therefore man having body soul and sense must do it for he had sinned in all and he could suffer in all That hee should bee God there was reason yea double reason First that his sufferings might be sufficient and againe that his merits might bee sufficient That his sufferings might be sufficient For the sin of man was infinite I mean infinitely punishable If not infinite in number infinite offences yet infinite in nature every offence infinite because against God who is infinite No creature could therefore satisfie for it but the sufferer must be God that so his infiniteness might be answerable to the infiniteness of mans yea all mens offences And again that his merits might be sufficient he must bee God for sufficient merit for all Mankinde could not be in the person of any meer man no not in Christ himself considered only as a man For so all the grace he had he did receive it and all the good he did he was bound to doe it for he was made of a woman and made under the Law Gal. 4.4 therefore in fulfilling it hee did more then that which was his duty to doe he could not merit by it no not for himself much lesse for others considered only as man therefore he must also be God that the dignity of his person might adde dignity and virtue and value to his works In a word Deus potuit sed non debuit homo debuit sed non potuit God could but he should not man should but he could not make the satisfaction therefore he that would doe it must be both God and Man Terris crutus ab igne as the Prophet speake h Zac. 3.2 Is not this a firebrand taken out of the fire In a firebrand there is fire and wood inseparably mixed and in Christ there is God and Man wonderfully united He was God else neither his sufferings nor his merits could have been sufficient And if his could not much lesse any mans else for all other men are both conceived and born in original sin and also much and often defiled with actuall sin Away then with all such doctrines of prayers and Masses for the dead and whatsoever other merit or satisfaction of man for no man may deliver his brother nor make agreement to God for him for it cost more to redeem their souls so that he must let that alone for ever Ps 49.7 He was man even God became man by a wonderfull unspeakable and unconceivable union Behold God is offended by mans affecting and coveting his wisdom and his glory for that was the Devils temptation to our first Parents ye shall be as Gods and man is redeemed by Gods assuming and taking his frailty and his infirmity Man would be as God and so offended him therefore God becomes man and so redeemeth him Away then with all pride and disdain scorn and contempt of our brethren despise not hate not revenge not him that compares himself unto thee or lifts himself above thee pursue him not with fury prosecute him not with rage but rather seek to reconcile and winne him with kindnesse meeknesse and humility so did God deal with man his proud daring and too too high comparing creature Because man in pride would be a God therefore God in love became a man And so you have one particular concerning the sufferer namely who he was in his person God and Man Again as aforesaid we are to consider what hee was in his office the Text doth yeeld it in the name Christ This name or title Christus was wont to be given to three sorts of dignities or degrees Namely to Kings Priests and Prophets and that because the signification of that name that is Anointed did belong to them for those three degrees were wont to be consecrated and confirmed with the ceremony of Anointing so was Aaron Anointed to be a Priest Jehu to be a King Elisha to be a Prophet And of them all the Psalmists words may be understood Psal 105.15 Nolite tangere Christos meos Touch not mine Anointed But never was this name so properly given to any as to him of whom my Text speaketh For if any were Anointed with material oyl hee was Anointed with spiritual oyl the oyl of gladness if any were Anointed abundantly he was Anointed superabundantly above his fellows if any were Anointed temporally he was Anointed eternally Thou art a Priest for ever saith the Psalmist Whose Kingdom shall have no end saith the Nicen Creed If any were Anointed for any of those three dignities or degrees it was for one of them or but for two at
suffer Indeed such a true and proper sufferer he was for so himself confesseth I lay down my life no man taketh it from me but I lay it down of my self I have power to lay it down and I have power to take it again Joh. 10.17 And again to say plainly he suffered what is it but to shew his innocencie that he had not offended For if hee had been a malefactor or offender it should have been said rather he was punished or he was executed And so it is most true for so it followeth in the next words of the Text the just for the unjust And again to say peremptorily he suffered what is it but to set him forth by the way of excellency for the chief and archsufferer and that not onely in respect of the manner of his sufferings that he suffered absolutely so as never did any but also in respect of the measure of his sufferings that he suffered excessively so much as never did any And so also wee may well understand and take it For to him doth well belong that lamentation of the Prophet Lam. 1.12 O vos omnes qui transitis attendite videte si dolor est ullus sicut dolor meus O all yee that passe by attend and see if there be any sorrow like to mine Behold then in saying nothing else but Christ hath suffered 1. He implyeth that he alwaies suffered constantly without intermission 2. That he onely suffered patiently without opposition 3. That he properly suffered voluntarily without compulsion 4. That he innocently suffered wrongfully without just condemnation 5. That he principally suffered excessively without comparison And is it not enough then that he saith Christ hath suffered but will ye yet ask what Nay but I pray you be satisfied and rather of the two ask what not For what sufferings can ye think on which he suffered not Sufferings in birth he suffered them Sufferings in life he suffered them Sufferings in death he suffered them Sufferings in body he was diversly tormented Sufferings in soul his soul was heavie unto death Sufferings in estate he had not where to rest his head Sufferings in good name he was counted a Samaritane and a devillish Sorcerer Sufferings from heaven he cryeth out My God my God why hast thou for saken me Sufferings from the earth he findeth for his hunger a fruitlesse Fig-tree Sufferings from hell he is assaulted and encountred with the Devill himself He began his life meanly and basely and was sharply persecuted he continued his life poorly and distressedly and was cruelly hated hee ended his life wofully and miserably and was most grievously tormented with whips thorns nails and above all with the terrors of his Fathers wrath and horrors of hellish agonies Ego sum qui peccavi I am the man that have sinned but these sheep what have they done So spake David when he saw the Angel destroying his people 2 Sam. 24.17 And even the same speech may every one of us take up for our self and apply to Christ and say I have sinned I have done wickedly but this sheep what hath he done Yea much more cause have we then David had to take up this complaint For David saw them die whom he knew to be sinners we see him dye who we know knew no sin David saw them dye a quick speedy death we see him die with lingering torments David saw them dye who by their own confession was worth ten thousand of them wee see him dye for us whose worth admitteth no comparison David saw the Lord of glory destroying mortall men we see mortall men crucifying the Lord of glory 1 Cor. 2.8 How then have not wee more cause then David to say I have sinned I have done wickedly but this innocent lamb what hath he deserved to be thus tormented But let us not goe on with Davids words to adde as he doth there Let thy hand I pray thee be against me and against my Fathers house Let us not desperately offer our selves to condemnation when we see redemption fairly freely fully offered unto us rather let us sing Maries Magnificat My soul doth magnifie the Lord and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour Let us take heart of grace courage and comfort in faith for Christ hath blotted out the hand-writing that was against us and hath nailed it to his crosse and hath spoyled Principalities and Powers and made a shew of them openly triumphing over them in the same cross Col. 2.14 And so much for the second generall part or branch of the Text his sufferings hath suffered The third and last part is the occasion of his sufferings for sins Look how largely he spoke before of his sufferings in a generall word hath suffered meaning all sufferings so largely he also speaketh of the occasion of his sufferings in a generall word for sinnes meaning all sins But take this all with this restraint namely for all mens sins And let this all againe bee thus expounded for all mens sins competently and sufficiently but onely for all the Elects sins actually and effectually For first it appeareth that he suffered for no sinnes of his own for the Text here denyeth him to have any in that it calleth him just the just for the unjust And it is also plain that he suffered not for lost Angels sins for he in no sort took the Angels but he took the seed of Abraham Heb. 2.16 And why not them as well as us seeing they were the more noble and excellent creatures They were celestial spirits we earthly bodies dust and ashes They were immediate attendants upon God as it were of his privy chamber we servants of his lower house of this world farther remote from his glorious presence Their office was to sing Haleluiahs songs of praise to God in the heavenly Paradise ours to dresse the Garden of Eden which was but an earthly Paradise They sinned but once and but in thought as is commonly held but Adam sinned in thought by lusting in deed by tastting in word by excusing Why then did not Christ suffer for their sinnes as well as for ours or if for any why not for theirs rather then ours Even so O Father for so it pleased thee Mat. 11.26 We move this question not as being curious to search thy secret counsels but that wee may the more fill our hearts with admiration of thy goodnesse towards us and be the more tankfull for thy favour joyfull in thy mercy and cheerfull in thy love acknowledging ourselves more bound unto thee for that we have received more bounty from thee then even thine Angels thy noblest creatures So then Christ hath suffered for the sinnes of Mankind onely and that as aforesaid of all Mankind if we respect the sufficiency of his sufferings so that if any be not benefited by it the defect and fault is not in it but in their not apprehending and applying it Else why is it thus largely said in this indefinite speech
doing is required if ye do 3. What we must know and do these things 4. That neither knowing alone nor doing alone but both together are required to make us blessed Not blessed are ye if you know onely nor blessed are ye if ye do only but both If ye know these things blessed are ye if ye do them 5. The reward of our knowing and doing that is blessednesse blessed are ye For the first that knowing is required Ratio Oratio saith the Heathen man Reason and speech are the principall things that doe make men more excellent then beasts And it is Reason especially that makes the difference For if a man speak without Reason what doth his voice differ from the voice of a beast David saith Man being in honour hath no understanding but is compared to the beasts that perish Why is he compared to the beasts Not for his want of speech but for his want of understanding For though a man have speech he is neverthelesse a beast if he want reason and if he have reason he is neverthelesse a man though he want speech And if we go further and make comparison in other things whether they be bona corporis or bona fortunae as hee calls them goods of the body or goods of fortune as health strength beauty peace plenty and the rest in these things the beasts are equall if not superiour to us only it is that same bonum animi that intellectuall faculty of the soul apprehending things past present and to come that doth set us before them and makes them come short of us Therefore when Solomon had the wish of his heart given him hee desired none of those outward things of the body or of fortune but the onely thing that he desired was the inward good of the mind wisdom and knowledge because he knew that other things were common to beasts as well as to man but onely wisdome would make him more excellent then beasts and most like unto God Yea his wisdom indeed did make him not onely more excellent then beasts but also more excellent then men For as reason differenceth men from beasts so wisdome differenceth men from men according to that in the Comedy Homini homo quidpraestat stulto intelligens quid interest What difference is there between man and man what oddes between the wise and the foolish A poor child that is wise saith Solomon is better then an old foolish King Eccles 4.13 Here is childhood and poverty for wisdomes sake preferred before age and dignity Again he saith Prov. 3.35 Fooles have dishonour though they be exalted Before wisdom was honoured in poverty and here folly is dishonoured in dignity Fooles have dishonour though they be exalted But what do I lighting a candle before the Sun and casting water into the Sea Why doe I commend that which no man doth mislike and why do I exhort you to goe when as ye are voluntarily ready to run yea if it were possible to fly For there is scarce a man to be found I say not so voyd of grace but so monstrous in nature that doth not desire knowledge If we look among the wildest savages for a man that affecteth ignorance and doth not in some sort desire knowledge we shall nodum in scirpo quaerere we shall hardly finde this errour in the nature of man What ventures by sea what travels by land what studies by day what watchings by night doe men undertake and endure in the search and pursuit of knowledge some in one kinde and some in another It was not for nought then that Christ threatned him with hell fire that called his brother fool for there cannot be a more odious reproach given then fool for very nature doth abhor to be ignorant Yea so so much do men abhor ignorance that every man doth professe himself not to be a searcher and seeker of wisdom and knowledge but to be a keeper and possessor of it not a student but a master not to seek it but to have it and think it a shame to be thought to want it and will take it in great scorn to bee told he hath it not Every man I say for even the basest are ready to brag of it as Solomon observeth The rich man is wise in his own conceit Prov. 28.11 And the slothfull man is wiser in his own conceit then seven men that can render a reason Prov. 26.16 Seeing therefore that men of all yea even the worst conditions are thus stored and furnished with knowledge I have more need to commend it in all then to commend it to all But as St. Paul in another case so may I say in this Shall I praise you in this I praise you not For this knowledge which is so common and generall is onely in conceit it is not in truth And what shall I say then that it is knowledge Nay but rather that it is meere ignorance and folly which St. Paul proveth 1 Cor. 8.2 If any man think he knoweth any thing he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know If he know nothing then it must be granted that his knowledge is meer folly yea his conceited knowledge is not only folly but it is worse then folly Prov. 26.12 Seest thou a man that is wise in his own conceit there is more hope of a fool then of him his knowledge is worse then folly yea it is not onely worse then folly but it is a cursed folly there is a wo goes with it Is 5.21 Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes and prudent in their own sight Will yee know then what knowledge is and what it is to be wise St. Paul adviseth him that would be wise to turn fool 1 Cor. 3.18 If any man among you saith he seem to bee wise in this world let him be a fool that he may be wise This is strange doctrine must wise men be fooles how is that possible yes they must be fooles in the estimation or accompt of the world they must embrace him who is to the Grecians foolishness that is Christ They must follow the foolishnesse of Preaching and they must conform themselves to that foolishnesse of God for so the Apostle in the name and person of the World calleth it 1 Cor. 1.25 They need not be ashamed to be fooles in such kind and in such company but especially they must be fooles in their own opinion having an humble conceit of themselves Alii melius de te quam tu sentiant tibi minima videantur quae feceris ut majora quotidie possis saith Lipsius and Solomon doth plainly construe him Prov. 27.2 Let another man praise thee and not thine own mouth a stranger and not thine own lips Knowledge then appears to be necessary and by Christ here to be required yet in knowing we must not know I mean in our own opinion we must have an humble and meek conceit of our knowledge and say with David Lord I am
blessed Mat. 5. Blessed are ye for your knowing because ye do what ye know and blessed are ye for your doing because ye know what ye do blessed are ye internally for the peace of your consciences is unto you a continual feast blessed are ye externally for your light shineth before men that they may see your good works and glorifie your Father which is in heaven Blessed are ye supernally for God is not ashamed of you to be called your God for he hath prepared for you a Citty Blessed are ye in things temporal in things spiritual in things eternall In things temporall read the 28. of Deut. Blessed shalt thou be in the City and blessed also in the field blessed shall be the fruit of thy body and the fruit of thy ground and the fruit of thy cattle blessed shalt thou be when thou comest in and blessed when thou goest out In things spirituall for your understandings shall be illuminated your wills rectified your affections sanctified your old man mortified your new man quickned and ye wholly made accepted in the beloved In things eternall for there is an inheritance immortall undefiled and that fadeth not away reserved for you in heaven where ye shall have joy without sorrow health without infirmity pleasure without satiety life without death and indeed I cannot tell you what but this I may warrant all that ye would and nothing that ye would not as appeareth Psal 16.11 In thy presence is the fulness of joy and Psal 17.15 When I awake up after thy likeness I shall be satisfied with it Blessed are ye in the present Tense which I adde as a vantage to the former Notes as being indeed the speciall of all even now already ye have obtained it Now whiles ye dwel with Mesech and have your habitation among the tents of Kedar now whiles ye live in this vale of tears in this sea of glasse in this dungeon of the flesh now even now blessed are ye Blessed are ye in the unchangable decree of God the Father who hath elected you in the Incarnation of God the Son who hath redeemed you in the effectual operation of God the holy Ghost who hath sealed you Blessed are ye in the knowledge of God who hath called and justified you in the knowledge of the Church who hath received and acknowledged you in the knowledge of your selves your own consciences testifying together with Gods Spirit bearing witness with your spirits that yee are the children of God Blessed are yee for though yee shall not take possession of it till your soules be parted from your bodies Eccl. 12.7 and though ye shall not have the compleat perfection of it till your bodies be raised again and reunited to your soules Heb. 11. yet even in this life ye have the pawn and pledge of it 2 Cor. 1.22 Arrham spiritus the earnest of the Spirit a pure heart and good conscience and faith unfeigned 1 Tim. 1.5 And now concerning the present business Of the Visitation which is the occasion of our meeting and of my present speaking I need say nothing of it for my Text hath said all already If ye know these things blessed are ye if ye doe them To or for our quickning to this or any other duty what need more be sayd then this that our professed burthen of blessednesse our hoped weight of glory dependeth equally on our knowing and doing our duty Neither can I judge any of you my hearers to have need of more application of this unto you This assembly consisteth especially of three sorts Churchwardens Ministers Visiters And each of these concerning the businesse in hand I hope I need question no otherwise then Saint Paul questioned Agrippa Beleevest thou the Prophets I know thou beleevest So I now to you Are yee prepared and ready to doe your duties I know yee are prepared To the Churchwardens why should I make other question seeing the businesse is not new but very antient and of frequent use and seeing they are taught their lesson not by rote but by book having Articles to direct them whereof to consider and whereto to answer To the Ministers why should I make other question seeing their lips are to be the preservers of knowledge Mal. 2.7 and their foreheads the stamps of holiness Exod. 28.38 I may say therefore for them as the parents of the born blind man answered for their sonne concerning his blindnesse and recovery Hee is old enough ask him he shall answer for himself Joh. 9.20 To the Visitors what need I make other question seeing they cannot bee ignorant that hee who saith to them I have said ye are Gods addeth also immediately but ye shall die like men yea and in another place professeth himself to be the Visiter of Visiters Namely that in case of forsaking his Law and not walking in his Judgements he will visit such offences with the rod and such sinne with scourges Psal 89.31 What need I then say any more of this businesse yet I remember a passage of Mr. Latimer that man of the worn-out-age being challenged and taxed for somewhat spoken by him before and concerning the King he answered Would ye have me preach before a King and say nothing of a Kings duty This made mee to think it unfit for me to preach at a Visitation and say nothing thereto properly belonging To avoid this therefore I offer to your consideration and reformation two abuses which I take to be no small ones for they touch our coppyhold as I may say or rather our Freehold the honour and dignity of our Sacraments The first concerneth the former Sacrament Baptism and namely in this that it is grown a common custom to keep children from Baptism till the moneth be up for the Mothers churching sake some for state some to save charges But if the childe bee dead bom the parents grieve to look upon it and speedily commit it to the earth and shall not the apprehension of spiritual death be also grievous and make us speedily seek the remedy to bury that death in Christs death Circumcision was a bloody and cruell a tedious and grievous Sacrament as may appear by that forty years forbearing of it for journeying sake Josh 5.6 and by the prevailing of Simeon and Levi two men for there be no more mentioned to the Massacre of all the Males in a whole City being newly circumcised Gen. 34.25 Yet that Sacrament might not be omitted past the eighth day But our Sacraments as St. Augustine observeth Aug. Ep. 118. are numero pancissima observatione facilima few and easie and shall wee presume then to delay Baptism which is to us in stead of Circumcision till the moneth bee up The Minister is required to bee speedy in ministring it in case of danger And doth not this also binde the people to shun delay and to prevent danger Yea the Common Prayer book in the beginning of private Baptism injoyneth that Baptism be not delayed past the first
to defend them against the piercing of others obloquie and against the pinching of their own industry against outward shame against inward pain For seeing their calling and employment is so high and excellent so great and honourable as not onely themselves to be but also to make others Kings and in this sort to depose the spiritual kingdom of darknes and to set up the kingdom of grace what cloud of shame what storm of pain can be sufficient to dazle the light or to abate the heat of this sun-shining honour or with what difficulty objected or conceited may we be dismayed seeing God hath so honoured us as not only to be his workmen but co-workers with him 2 Cor. 6.1 Yea to stand in his stead and to act his part We are Ambassadors for Christ as though God did beseech you through us we pray you in Christs stead that ye be reconciled unto God Yea and hath so far imparted himself unto us as to affirm He that heareth you heareth me and he that despiseth you despiseth me Luk. 10.16 This therefore may well be our sufficit our sufficient satisfaction against all discomforts and discouragements and make us say The lot is fallen to me in a fair ground yea I have a goodly heritage Ps 16.6 Secondly it is touch of proof to the people to tell what metall they are whether currant or counterfeit For if they be as they should be and receive this work of ours effectually then they are informed in knowledge reformed in wickednesse conformed in holinesse they are strengthned to strive with nature and elevated to the strain of grace They are no more slaves to lust and pleasure but even in all tribulation more then conquerors Rom. 8.37 they beat downe their body and bring it into subjection 1 Cor. 9.27 They crucifie the flesh with the affections and lusts Gal. 5.24 they are born of God and doe overcome the world 1 Joh. 5.4 they are made Kings Yea not onely they shall finde this alteration and exaltation in themselves but we shall also find a change of their affection and disposition toward us for it is unpossible that this great work should be wrought in them but they must acknowledge the instruments and workers their contempt will be turned to reverence their neglect to respect their spight to love their grudging and murmuring into freewill offering liberall contributing Esteeming us as the Ministers of Christ and Stewards of the secrets of God 1 Co. 1.4.1 Even so far forth as not onely inwardly to conceive but even outwardly to expresse that acclamation How beautifull are the feet of them that bring glad tidings of peace and bring glad tidings of good things Rom. 10.15 And so ye see the honour of this work in respect of what it is A Kingdom Secondly the same also appeareth in regard of its quality considering of what kind it is an heavenly kingdom It is said to be of heaven for its Kings sake and for its kinds sake For its Kings sake who only is Christ the Son of God the heavenly King This kingdome hath no King but that Caesar who onely is semper Augustus the King of Kings and Lord of Lords And for its kind sake also being no naturall rule or temporall regiment but supernaturall and divine This therefore must needs be great addition to that former point of honour It is a kingdom to make men Kings It is an heavenly kingdom to make them good Kings which of all works is the best and greatest Man is called a little world yet the rule of himself is greater then of the great world for he that ruleth his own mind is better then he that winneth a City Prov. 16.23 Alezander having subdued the great world or at least a great part of the world where was his honour when he failed in that little rule of himself Surely he then being in honour had no understanding but might be compared to the beasts that perish It is therefore more honour to have our hearts thus crowned spiritually then to have our heads invested with a temporall crown even as much as it is more to bee a good man then a great man or as the soul is more worth then the body or the body and soul more worth then the world or heaven more worth then the earth And such is the nature of this kingdom so doth it inthrone and crown us spiritually not temporally heavenly not earthly My kingdom is not of this world saith our Saviour Joh. 18.36 And here both sellers and buyers both Ministers and receivers both Priests and people may see what kind of commodity they have in hand and learn how to deal therein It is a heavenly traffique they may not be earthly or carnally minded in it The Minister he may not make merchandise of the Word of God or at least no other then free merchandise as the Prophet Isaiah doth Is 55.1 Ho every one that thirsteth come ye to the waters and ye that have no money come buy and eat He may not begin it with what shall I give for it as if the gift of God might be obtained with money for that was Simons sin who thereby shewed himself to be in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquttie Act. 8.18 Nor yet with what shall I have with it as if Christ were to be sold at a price for that was Judas his sin who therefore hanged himself and burst asunder in the midst Act. 1.18 Not but that he may rejoyce in his labour and take his portion Eccl. 2.24 5.17 For that in all degrees is the gift of God And in this particular the labourer is worthy of his hire Luk. 10.7 And thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the Oxe that treadeth out the corn 1 Cor. 9.9 but it must be done willingly and of a ready mind not for filthy lucre sake 1 Pet. 5.2 His work is heavenly his aim and end likewise must be heavenly and holy and voyd of earthly respect The people also must take it as it is a spiritual not a carnal commodity and therefore be contented to be discontented and pleased to be displeased and think it their honour to be dishonoured as concerning the flesh and the outward man accounting the faithfull wounds of a lover better then the pleasant kisses of an enemy Prov. 27.6 And Gods precious balms though they break the head Ps 114.5 yet because they heal as soon as break more acceptable more comfortable more estimable then the old serpents apples offered from the forbidden tree because though they delight the eye and please the tast yet in delighting and pleasing at once they also kill and destroy And so much of the first part of the description of the Ministry of the Word namely by its dignity and honour the Kingdom of Heaven The second part or point is its property practise or effect It is a draw-net cast into the sea which gathered of every kind The summe of all
this together is to expresse it to be a very catching craft a very Fishermans work a catching of men as Mat. 4.19 Follow me and I will make you Fishers of men of men that is of souls For animus cujusque est quisque the soul is the man even in heathenish accompt And in the Scripture phrase soul is usually put for person so many soules for so many persons Gen. 46.27 Act. 27.37 But the particulars of this summe may bee thus sorted 1. It s secresie simplicitie and unity in that it is a Net 2. It s force and its lenity in that it is a draw net 3. It s powerfulnesse and danger in that it is cast into the sea 4. It s generall capacity in that it gathereth of every kind First it is a Net and here is secresie simplicity and unity 1. Secresie for the use of Nets generally is secret whether it be in fishing fowling or hunting Surely in vain the net is spread in the sight of any bird Prov. 1.17 But especially in fishing it is so secret that the Fisher himself takes he knows not what but even what the winde and tide brings in Such secresie is in this spirituall Net of the Gospel I mean not in secret laying for it must be openly spread but onely in regard of secret taking wee take wee know not what For the Net may be spread in vain if the fish come not in witnesse St. Peters lost labour all night till assaying againe at his command who commandeth windes and seas he inclosed a great multitude Luk. 5.5 Little did St. Peter know what motion drew that shoale of fish into his Net No more then the Israelites knew what wind blew that heap of Quailes about their camp and yet the Text saith There went forth a wind from the Lord and brought Quails from the sea and let them fall by the Camp round about Num. 11.31 The same Lords holy wind it is likewise that brings fish into our Net The wind bloweth where it lusteth and thou hearest the sound thereof but canst not tell whence it cometh or whither it goeth so is every one that is born of the spirit Joh. 3.8 If then it be thy lot to come within the compasse of this Net though it draw thee contrary to thy course and straiten thy desired liberty yet strive not struggle not snarle not defile not the Net bite not the Fisher but rather humble thy self under the mighty hand of God Jam. 5.6 acknowledge the all-disposer it is his secret work Again in that it is a Net here note simplicitie Here are no false enticing allurements but plain taking plain dealing Hooks are covered and hid with bait to allure the fish to be taken but in Nets there is no baiting no colouring no deceiving especially in the draw net no skill but plain drawing So is it in this our spiritual Net no cosening but a plain cast of fore-right drawing no pleasing but rather displeasing baits Take up the crosse Mar. 10.21 Suffer affliction as the good Souldiers of Jesus Christ 2 Tim. 2.3 Only this is all it promiseth safety to the taken but losse to the not taken For whosoever will save his life shall lose it and he that shall lose his life for Christs sake the same shall save it Luk. 9.24 Look not then for baits hearken not for pleasures this Net doth not yeeld it here is no such kind of taking if thou wilt be taken thou must be crost even to the full denying of thy self And again in that it is a Net here note unity The draw net consisteth of many lines plummets thrids knots yet all make but one Net Yea so in this place it is set forth singularly a Net whereas elswhere there is often mention made of Nets in discourse of Fishing or Fishers in the scriptures Mending their nets Mat. 4.21 Washing their nets Let slip your nets Luk. 5.2 4. But here it is a net expressing unity Such is our spiritual Fishing-net alwaies one though diversly composed diversly disposed One in respect of the author These all worketh one and the self same spirit distributing to every man severally as he will 1 Cor. 12.11 One in respect of the matter Ye are called in hope of your calling one hope one baptisne Eph. 4.4 One in respect of the end for the gathering together of the Saints for the edification of the body of Christ Eph. 4.12 O then blessed are they that build on Christ and after his levell for he is the corner stone making unity two walls to be but one and that is strengthning and inlarging for peace and plenteousnesse goe together Psal 122.7 But wo be to them that build Towers of Babel that is division for that also is confusion Every kingdom divided against it self shall bee brought to nought Mat. 12.25 And blessed are they who being gathered by this net are also united in it For the wisdom that is from above is first pure then peaceable Jam. 3.17 But wo be to them that have bodies and souls united in place and means but heads and hearts and hands divided in life manners For if ye have bitter envyings and strife in your hearts rejoyce not neither be ye lyars against the truth this wisdom descendeth not from above but is earthly sensual and devillish Jam. 3.14 Endeavour therefore to keep the unitie of the spirit in the bond of peace Eph. 4.3 The unity of the spirit that 's in faith In the bond of peace that 's in life Fulfill ye my joy that ye be like minded having the same love being of one accord and of one judgement Phil. 3.1 That ye be like minded that 's for opinion having the same love that 's for affection being of one accord that 's for manners and of one judgement that 's for doctrine For this no doubt is the intent and end of that prayer of Christ that they all may be one as thou O Father art in me and I in thee that they may be also one in us Joh. 17.21 And so much of the particulars observed in that it is said to be like a Net In the second place I observed its force and lenity in that it is like to a draw-net for so the word is Sagena the great net the drag tramel or draw-net and the sense implyeth it For it is said here to gather It gathereth of every kind therefore it is not a net layd to lye still but such a one as takes by drawing Herein therefore I note both force and lenity Force for it draweth there can be no resistance Lenity for it but draweth there is no great violence Fishes are caught as well with the Angle as with the Net but in the Angle there is stronger tugging suddener hoysing therefore the Angle takes but one at once but the Net goes leisurely and gently along so as the Fish have also their swimming even in their taking and so crescit eundo it takes whole multitudes at once So is
it holdeth and draweth all It gathereth of every kind Or is it because of thy greatnesse thou thinkest to escape this Net Why it is not made of cobwebs to catch small flyes onely but rather of iron to hold the strongest to bind their Kings in chains and their Nobles with links of iron Psal 149.8 Or is it because of thy great wisdome and learning that thou thinkest thou hast no need of this net why It is written I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and will cast away the understanding of the prudent where is the wise where is the scribe where is the disputer of the world hath not God made the wisdom of the world foolishness 1 Cor. 1.19 Let every one therefore submit himself to this easie yoke and yeeld to this drawing net lest he hear Christ complaining and threatning against him all at once How often would I have gathered thee as the hen gathereth her chickens under her wings and ye would not behold your habitation shall be left unto you desolate Mat. 23.37 But it seems this generality of gathering and drawing is specially here intended to this that it gathereth as well the bad as the good For this Parable agreeth well with th' other before of the tares and the wheat for in both is shewed the joynt-tenancy of good and bad in the Church untill the day of separation They therefore that will have a pure Church without any spots doe make themselves wiser then God They that will have all wickedness presently judged doe make themselves juster then God they that will abide no ill company in the use of holy things doe make themselves holyer then God In a word this secret will and work of God may indeed teach us not only warynesse in our life to walke wisely and to beware of men Col. 4.5 Mat. 10.17 but also wearinesse of our life to say Wo is me that I am constrained to dwel with Mesech and to have my habitation among the tents of Kedar Psal 120.5 Yea and that not without some vexation For just Lot was vexed with the uncleanly conversation of the wicked 2 Pet. 2.7 Yet so as with all meeknesse to abide Gods pleasure and to stay his leisure for he hath appointed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousness Act. 17.31 Be patient therefore brethren unto the coming of the Lord Jam. 5.7 And so much of the second generall part of the Text viz. the property of the Church Ministry It is like a draw-net which was cast into the sea and gathered of every kind The third and last general part is its end or upshot In which I have noted its fulnesse which when it was full and its tryal they gathered the good into vessels but cast the bad away First for its fulness which when it was full they drew to shore God who in himself is infinite hath set a date and stint upon all his Works a date of time a stint of measure their bounds which they shall not passe Thou hast ordered all things in measure number and weight Wisd 11.17 Yea because himself is infinite therefore indeed every thing else needs be finite for there can be but one true infinitum in rerum natura And though he will have this work of this draw net especially above others to bee constant and continual yet it hath its fulnesse which when it was full Conclude then that all things have their end and their end for ever determined with God First all things have their end yet not one and the same end but diversly There is an end corruptionis of corruption which belongeth to the bodies of men and of all mixt creatures When thou hidest thy face they are troubled when thou takest away their breath they die and are turned again to their dnst Ps 104.29 There is an end perfectionis of perfection which belongeth to the souls of the Elect Receiving the end of your faith even the salvation of your souls 1 Pet. 1.9 There is an end destructionis of destruction which belongeth to the reprobates whose end is damnation Phil. 3.19 And there is an end consummationis of consummation which belongeth to all the works of God and man I see that all things come to an end Psal 119.96 And this is that which my Text speaketh of Sic erit in consummatione seculi So it shall be in the end of the world ver 49. Well then be it so even as indeed it is yea as it must be so let it be let every thing have its end Let every thing have its end as well in and to thee as in and to its self In thy intention in thy application in thy estimation in their preparation let all things have their end 1. In thy Intention do nothing without an end bethink forecast plot and propose the end of what thou doest before thou begin it take nothing in hand without a right end intended Whatsoever thou takest in hand remember the end and thou shalt never doe amiss Eccl. 7.36 Otherwise in your best works even in your holy meetings ye may be like those of Ephesus The assembly was confused and the more part knew not wherefore they were come together Act. 19.32 Or like him who for want of forecast of the end subjected himself unto a mock This man began to build and was not able to make an end Luk. 14.30 2. In thy Application Let nothing bt done in vain unto thee all Gods works of Mercy and Judgement done unto thee or before thee let all have a right end in thee Rob not God of his glory thy self of thy comfort thy neighbour of his benefit in any thing For Natura nihil facit frustra Nature and much more the God of Nature doth nothing in vain God hath his end in every thing therefore receive not the grace of God in vain in what kind soever it cometh but make some good use of every thing So and not else shalt thou attain to Davids gladness Thou Lord hast made me glad through thy works and I will rejoyce in giving praise for the operations of thy hands Ps 92.4 3. In thy Estimation Deceive not thy self in valuing the things of this world as lasting things to build thy joy and comfort on as they doe that think their houses shall continue for ever and call their lands after their own names Psal 49.12 but esteem them as they are mutable and uncertain vain ane transitory subject to end for the fashion of this world goeth away 1 Cor. 7.31 Therefore let us take heed of abusing it that so rightly seeing and acknowledging the momentany nature of these ending things we may be lifted up to the excellency of that eternal weight of glory and have our conversation in heaven Looking with Abraham Heb. 11.10 for a City having a foundation even a firme foundation Immortall undefiled and that fadeth not away 1 Pet. 1.4 4. In thy preparation be thou prepared for thine own end
utter destruction and condemnation as it followeth in the exposition And shall cast them into a furnace of fire Briefly the sum is that here are two several ends proposed and answerable to the twofold condition of the subjects the one of safety and gathered the good into vessels that is into everlasting habitations as Christ speaketh Luk. 16.9 the other of destruction but cast the bad away that is into everlasting condemnation into the furnace of fire as the exposition sheweth Of which two estates or ends how shall I speak seeing I cannot understand how shall I utter that I cannot comprehend for the eye hath not seen nor the ear heard neither hath it entred into the heart of man that which God hath prepared for them that love him and consequently neither that which he hath prepared for them that hate him For which may somewhat save my labour the greatness of th' one sets forth the greatness of th' other the one is the fulness of joy therefore the other must needs be the fulness of wo the one is the enjoying of all things in the enjoying God the other is the losing of all things in the losing God the one is everlasting life that 's perfection of excellencie the other is everlasting death that 's perfection of misery yea the happiness is double considering the escape of misery and the punishment is double considering the loss of felicity And what then is there any need of use or application of this to be made unto you will ye look for my sparing it hath it not life enough to speak it self will ye expect my pressing it is not the weight of it sufficient to press and oppress your consciences When Paul disputed of judgement to come it made Felix an Infidel to tremble so that he could not endure the hearing of it and shall not all Christian hearts shake and tremble and be astonished at the very thought of it If you will have any use or instruction of it take it of St. Peter The day of the Lord shall come as a thief in the night in which the heavens shall pass away with a noise and the elements shall melt with heat and the earth with the works that are therein shall be burnt up Seeing therefore that all these things must be dissolved what manner of persons ought ye to be in holy conversation and godliness looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God by the which the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved and the elements shall melt with heat Wherefore beloved seeing that ye look for such things be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace without spot and blameless 2 Pet. 3.10 He speaketh by way of exhortation but the wise man speaketh by way of threatning Rejoice O young man in thy youth and let thy heart chear thee in the dayes of thy youth and walk in the waies of thy heart and in the sight of thine eyes but know that for all these things God will bring thee to judgement Eccl. 11.9 As if he would as it were dare any man to fin having but the remembrance of this judgement before him Wherefore let us not dare to heap up wrath against the day of wrath but walk circumspectly not as unwise men but as wise redeeming the time because these daies are evill especially because that day is so evill And so abide in him here by true faith and the fruits thereof love and fear that when he shall appear we may be bold and not be ashamed before him at his coming which the Lord grant to us all c. Finis Serm. sive tract 4. Trino-uni gloria TWO SERMONS preached at the Feast of the Nativitie of CHRIST and here set forth in one continued tract Text. JOH 1.16 And of his fulnesse have all we received grace for grace THis time is a speciall time of Grace both exhibited and returned Of Grace exhibited from God to man in and through Christ Of Grace returned from man to God in piety from man to man in charity from man to God in piety sanctifying dayes to Gods publick service in hearing praying communicating from man to man in charitie almes to the poor inviting neighbours visiting friends hospitality to all And well do we apply our selves to the practise and exercise of these two speciall duties for this speciall time and business sake this solemnizing and celebrating of the coming of Christ For these Piety and Charity are twins of the Holy Ghost never begotten one without th' other for true faith worketh by love Gal. 5.6 And true love must be with faith unfeigned 1 Tim. 1.5 What then It is right and fit that we present him with this joynt issue of the spirit from whom joyntly with the Father the spirit proceedeth and upon us descended that he should be honoured by th' effects and works of the spirit by and from whom we receive the gift of the spirit When the comforter is come whom I will send unto you from the Father even the spirit of truth Joh. 15.26 Again Piety and Charity are the two feet of the soul whereon it standeth wherewith it walketh though feet of different nature and divers qualitie even like those feet of Nebuchadnezars Image Dan. 2.33 part of iron part of clay part of iron strong to God-ward in the duties of the first Table so is Piety part of clay plyable to man in the duties of the second Table so is Charity What then we can doe no lesse then extend these footsteps in both kinds whiles we intend the meeting or entertaining of him that comes in both kinds We necessarily express our right respect at once to both natures for the honour of him who comes at once in both natures in one person to visit us for in him God was manifested in the flesh 1 Tim. 3.16 Again Piety and Charity are the two hands of the soul by the hands the body holdeth by these the soul holdeth For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing nor uncircumcision but faith that worketh by love Gal. 5.6 And these are well like the Spiders hands mentioned Prov. 30.28 For though they work weakly yet are they so ambitious as to take hold in the Kings Palace yea even in the Palace of the King of Kings What then Now especially is it convenient for us to stretch forth these hands and to exercise this hold in the heavenly palace because the heavenly King to fetch us thither vouchsafeth to descend not to a palace but to a vile place his humiliation opportuneth importuneth our exaltation our exultation For Behold saith the Angels to the shepheards Luk. 2. I bring you glad tidings of great joy which shall be to all people that is that unto you is born this day in the City of David a Saviour which is Christ the Lord. Again Piety and Charity are the two wings of the soul whereon it mounteth even as high as heaven For though worldly
men mind earthly things yet our conversation is in heaven Phil. 3.19 And though so long as we lye among the pots and dwel in houses of clay these wings want not earthly pollution yet when our earthly house of this tabernacle shall be dissolved then they shall be argent Or lux oriens Perer. in Gen. 1.3 yea orient full of lustre and splendor even as the wings of a dove which is covered with silver wings and her feathers like gold Psal 68. In the expectation whereof David as rapt and ravished cryeth out Psal 55.6 O that I had wings like a dove for then would I flee away and be at rest What then Very seasonably and conveniently doe we now clap both these wings together that so with all the flock of innocent doves with all the Elect which from all quarters fly unto Christ as the doves unto their windows Is 60.8 we may addresse our selves to make one flight in the meeting and congratulating of our Saviour for as much as our true Dove the holy Ghost who is not onely the leader but the breeder of all this brood hath descended and lighted upon his head giving us therein our true aim and mark to what rock we should repair Lo the heavens were opened unto him and John saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting upon him Mat. 3.16 In a word Piety and Charity is the sum of our obedience the totall of the Law Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul and with all thy mind this is the first and great commandement and the second is like unto it thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self on these two Commandements hang all the Law and the Prophets Mat. 22.37 Well and wisely therefore do we now present him with this sum of our obedience during our celebration of his first coming that so hee may make up our accompt and perfect our reckoning by bringing us a quietus est ready drawn at his second coming For in him indeed the sum of our righteousnesse and the totall of our obedience consisteth For Christ is the end of the Law for righteousness to every one that beleeveth Rom. 10.4 Yea this is the name whereby we are taught to call him the Lord our righteousness Jer. 23.6 Wherefore that these duties now so solemnly pretended may be rightly and truly that is understandingly and conscionably with the head and with the heart intended and attended and so both the receipt and the return of those graces may truly appear in us I have chosen this Text which sheweth the Fountain the Stream and the Banks of Grace From whence and how and in what measure Grace doth flow 1. The Fountain of his fulness 2. The Stream have all we received 3. The Banks and grace for grace that so being known how and whence it cometh it may be rightly received namely with joyfulnesse and thankfulnesse and rightly returned namely with humbleness and holyness 1. Part. The Fountain is this Of his fulness It is our Saviour Christ the Son of God the Son of Man God and Man the Redeemer of Man who is here spoken of as plainly appeareth in all the foregoing narration of the Evangelist In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God c. Of his fulness have we all received Of his fulness This Text suteth very well and agreeth with other answerable Scriptures which doe set forth the gifts of Grace the effects of the Spirit by the embleme or instance of water which we find very frequent and common and no marvaile the comparison being very right and proper very emphaticall and significant For 1. Water never naturally ascendeth but descendeth and Grace proceedeth not from Man to God but from God to Man Every good and perfect gift is from above and cometh down from the father of lights Jam. 1.17 2. Water filleth the lowly valleys so Grace replenisheth humble minds For God resisteth the proud and giveth grace to the humble Jam. 4.6 3. Water purifieth and multiplieth or increaseth by running but putrifyeth and decreaseth by setling And Grace by diligence is improved but by negligence impaired Thou evill and slothfull servant thou oughtest to have put my money to the exchangers and then at my coming I should have received mine own with vantage or usury Mat. 25.27 Therfore the water of life that Christ giveth is said to be springing not setling Joh. 4.14 A Well of water springing up unto everlasting life And the waters that came from under the Temple Ezek. 47.1 were first to the ankles then to the knees then to the loyns and became a River that no man might pass over Many more particulars of resemblance might be instanced in this Allegory but this one may go for all as being indeed Instar omnium the sum of all Namely Water washeth and cleanseth the filth of the body and so Grace cleanseth and purgeth the filth of the soul Wash me throughly from my wickedness and cleanse me from my sin purge me with hysop and I shall be clean wash me and I shall be whiter then snow Psal 51. Let us then make some application of this to our selves that we may not passe it without some benefit And to that purpose let us apply it by way of tryall making the tryall to be of the cause by the effect of our washing by our cleansing Whether we have received or not received or at least whether we have in vain received the Grace of God or no For indeed that we have received it we all professe and we would take scorn to be denyed it yea if we would deny it God and his Church will affirm it that we have received it even litteral and mysticall washing in the Sacrament of Baptism Shew then the proof of it in thy cleansing For certainly Gods Church is like a flock of sheep going up from the washing Can. 4.2 They tell where they have been they tell their washing by their cleannesse Be it so then indeed with us let our cleansing prove our washing Learn of David I will wash mine hands in innocency O Lord and so will I go to thine altar Psal 26.6 Learn of St. James Cleanse your hands ye sinners and purge your hearts ye wavering minded Jam. 4.8 Learn of St. Paul Let us cleanse our selves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit 2 Cor. 7.1 That so we may be indeed like the sheep coming out of the water fair and clean Not like the black Moor coming out of the water never the whiter for all his washing And if thou art come to any degree of cleansing O then especially beware of fouling fall not again into that which thou hast forsaken but say with the Spouse Can. 5.3 I have put off my coat how shall I put it on I have washed my feet how shall I defile them And return not with the dog to the vomit or with the sow to thy wallowing in the
jot or tittle of his word shall fail He is slow to anger and long suffering to the wicked to exercise his own patience Hee may be also slow in comforting and rewarding his children that he may exercise their patience He may be long sometimes but he is alwaies true sure and certain in his longest delay Fear and tremble therefore thou that art forborn in sinne thou doest but heap up wrath against the day of wrath God hath leaden feet but iron hands he is slow to punish but severe in punishing But be not afraid in the day of grace and mercy for blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness for they shall be satisfied Mat. 5.6 He that hath begun this good work in you will perform it Phil. 1.6 In due season ye shall reap if ye faint not Gal. 16.9 But the especiall cause no doubt for this time taken for this great matter the coming of the holy Ghost was because of the greatness of the feast and muchness of the assembly to the intent that the greater good might be done and with the greater speed This was Christs common practise he was born in private and so indeed he lived for a while but when his time of revealing himself was come he frequented the solemnest assemblies and thrust himself into the thickest throngs What feast was there which he went not unto Ye will say he went not up openly but privately to the Jews feast of Tabernacles Joh. 7.10 True yet not with intent to hide but to proclaim himself there for when half the feast was done he went up into the temple and taught ver 14. And in the last and great day of the Feast he stood and cryed saying If any man thirst let him come unto me and drink ver 37. He suffered at the feast of Passeover and had his title written over him in three languages for publick notice sake He sent the gift of the holy Ghost at the feast of Pentecost one of the three solemn feasts of the year when all the males must appear before the Lord Exod. 23.17 that his Gospel might be suddenly and largely spread Thus Wisdom cryeth without and uttereth her voice in the streets Prov. 1.20 The Wisdom the Word the Son of God taketh all occasions to gather many unto him and to do publick good Let not this love then want acceptance neither let his example want observance let not his love want acceptance but as he freely calleth so let us freely come and flee and flock unto him as the Doves unto their windowes Is 60.8 And let not his example want observance To do good and to distribute forget not Heb. 13.16 Whiles wee have time let us do good unto all men Gal. 6.10 Not seeking our own profit but the profit of many that they may be saved 1 Cor. 10.33 So much of the time The other circumstance is the persons or parties They were altogether with one accord in one place Wee may note their quality who they were and their exercise whereabout they were 1. Who they were It appears in the whole passage of the former Chapter Namely the Apostles Disciples who were to publish the Gospell and to be pillars and foundation-stones of the Christian Church Ye are built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Jesus Christ himself being the chiefe corner stone Eph. 2.20 Behold their exaltation behold their humiliation Behold their exaltation Their calling is high They are laborers together with God 1 Cor. 3.9 Their indowment also is high they are indowed with God they have a visible receit of God the Holy Ghost Kings do command bodies states lives yea even of these that are so eminent I mean the priestly order For the King is supream 1. Pet 2.13 Therefore they are crowned with crowns of Gold inriched with gemms But these were to rule yea to raise and revive souls and therefore are crowned with such a Crown as never was any but the King of Kings even the visible Crown of the Holy Ghost The Prophet Elijah was carried up into Heaven by fire whether natural or supernaturall true or seeming it may be doubted But these Priests even upon earth both were carried by and did carry the true celestiall fire the holy Ghost God was the portion of the Leviticall priesthood by way of inheritance and remuneration And the Holy Ghost is the portion of the Christian priesthood by way of existence of exhibition of inhabitation and of operation Behold their honor then and deny not that the elders that rule well are worthy of double Honor. Yea though any of us in himself deserve dishonor yet let our calling be honored for this prime honors sake Again behold their humiliation For that they might minister they are first ministred unto that they might give they do first receive They have a commission but they may not put it in execution untill it be sealed They were to give and minister the Holy Ghost by predication Go preach the Gospel to every Creature Mar. 16.15 by ordination I left thee in Creet that thou shouldest ordain Elders in eevry City Tit. 1.5 by absolution Whose sinnes ye remit they are remitted whose sinnes yee retain they are retained Joh. 20.23 Therefore that they might minister in this eminent manner they must receive this excellent measure they must have their mission filled and their commission sealed with that great broad seal of Heaven And therein is their humiliation For it teacheth them not to run before they are sent nor like Ahimaaz 2 Sams 18. to be importunate to be sent when they have no word put in their mouth nor any tidings to tell For no man taketh this honor to himself but he that is called of God as was Aaron Heb. 5.4 but rather to say with Moses who am I that I should goe Exod. 3.11 and with Saint Paul who is sufficient for these things 2. Cor. 2.16 and with Isaiah to expect some of that heavenly fire A cole from the Altar to touch their lips before they say Here am I send me Is 6.6 And it may teach both them and others for them to acknowledge that they are but sawes and axes instruments in the hand of the workman And that neither he that planteth is any thing nor he that watereth but God that giveth the increase 1. Cor. 3.7 Yea that we have this treasure in earthen Vessells that the excellencie of that power might be of God and not of us 2. Cor. 4.7 And so much of their quality who they were Secondly note their exercise whereabout they were They were all with one accord in one place Here is no businesse expressed but no doubt it was not for idlenesse much lesse for ill exercise that they were together but for that which did belong unto their calling as is mentioned ver 46. But especially no doubt their businesse was the expectation of this which now was fulfilled even to observe that charge that was given them that they
should not depart from Jerusalem but wait for the promise of the Father Act. 1.4 And in this businesse they sate and the Holy Ghost came and sate upon each of them Behold then there is Unity Quietness Diligence Fidelity Constancy First here is Unitie one with another They were all with one accord in one place Behold the spirit of Unity rejoyceth in Unity The spirit of wisdom is loving Wisd 1.6 And the first fruit of the spirit is love Gal. 5.22 This loving spirit therefore descended upon them that were united in love to shew if that we dwell in love we dwell in God and God will be ready to dwell in us Secondly here is quietnesse They were in no commotion or hurly burly but quiet in themselves and one with another They sate therefore the spirit of rest here takes up his rest The spirit of trouble delighteth in trouble he is a compasser he compasseth the Earth Job 17. he taketh no rest neither doth he desire to find it but delighteth in compassing heads and troubled mindes that do weary themselves in the way of wickednesse But where the spirit of the Lord is there is liberty Peace Quietnesse and freedome from trouble The Dove could find no rest for the sole of her foot while the troubled waters endured but the raven continued going and coming from her first going forth Gen. 8. For the carcasses and carions tost in waters were her fittest rest Now the wicked are the raging waves of the Sea foaming out their own shame Jude 13. They are like the raging Sea that cannot rest whose waters cast up mire and dirt Is 57.20 therefore on them the golden feathered Dove of Heaven setleth not but the black devouring vulture of hell setteth up his rest Thirdly here is diligence They give not themselves to sleepy or idle rest but to such exercises as belong to their calling therefore they receive the hope of their calling Eph. 4.4 For as God is an austere man to idle and unprofitable servants so to the vigilant and diligent he is not onely liberall in honoring Lu. 16.21 Euge Well done good and faithfull servant and in rewarding Enter thou into thy masters joy Mat. 25. but also kind and loving in ministring He will gird himself about and make them sit down to meat and will come forth and serve them Lu. 12. Blessed therefore are both these and all those servants whom their Lord when he cometh shall find so doing even exercised in the charge that their Master shal give them Fourthly here is Faithfulness They had a charge given to that they are obedient they had a promise made In that they are confident Therefore according to their Faith so is it unto them And as they believe so do they receive Faithfull is he that promiseth Heb. 10.23 God is faithful 1 Cor. 10.13 Faithful therfore also must he be that receiveth Men must be faithfull He that commeth to God must believe not onely that God is but that he is arewarder of them that seek hm Heb 11.6 He that will receive must ask in faith and waver not Jam. 1. And he that will be received must be received in Faith So Philip answered the Eunuch when he would be baptised If thou believest with all thy heart thou maiest Act. 8.36 For Christ both in his word and in his work is unavailable to the unfaithfull Hee is the end of the Law for righteousnesse How to every one that believeth Rom. 10.4 He could there in his owne Country do no great works Why not because his giving hand failed but because their receiving hand failed Because of their unbeliefe Mar. 6.5 For in giving and ministring there must be also receiving they are relative workes and cannot be one without the other Fiftly here is Constantness For as asoresaid this was the tenth day of their expectation and had it been tenfold ten no doubt it had been but as one to them they would have bidden without grudging unto the end both for their loves sake and for their trusts sake For their loves sake For every Jacob thinks two apprentiships one of the body and soul above ground another of the body under ground to be but a little while for the love of his Rachel his desired happinesse And for their trusts sake because they knew that that the Lord is not slack concerning his promise Pet. 3.9 but that all his promises are yea and Amen 2 Cor. 1.20 And without repentance Rom. 11.20 Therefore they runne not as at an uncertain thing their labor is not in vain in the Lord Their constancie is crowned at the last Be patient therefore brethren unto the comming of the Lord behold the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the Earth and hath long patience untill he receive the former and the later rain Be ye therfore also patient and settle your hearts for the comming of the Lord draweth near Jam. 5.6 And let us not be weary of well doing for in due time we shall reap if we faint not Gal. 6.9 Remember Lots wife and look not back Lu. 17. For no wan that putteth his hand to the plough and looketh back is apt for the Kingdom of Heaven Lu. 9. But he that continueth to the end shall be saved Mat. 10. Be faithfull unto the death and I will give thee the Crown of life Rev. 2.10 So much of the circumstances of this businesse the Time and the Persons or Parties The second chief part or branch of this text is the substance or matter of the businesse related that is the comming of the Holy Chost in sensible forms The comming of the Holy Ghost why was not the Holy Ghost come till now Indeed it is said Joh. 7.39 The Holy Ghost was not yet given because Jesus was not yet glorified Yet it cannot be denyed but that the Holy Ghost was given before For in old time holy men of God spake as they were inspired by the Holy Ghost 2 Pet. 1.21 But he was not come or given in comparison of this comming or giving Why Not in like manner Not in like measure Not to like end Not in like manner For before he was given inwardly but now outwardly before secretly now openly Before invisibly now visibly Before quoad potentiam efficaciam in respect of power and efficacie now quoad praesentiam apparitionem in respect of presence and appearance Before suddenly now upon promise and expectation So that Christs words inverted may be hither applyed The kingdom of God is come with observation Lu. 7.20 So that now men might say lee here or loe there For the Kingdom of God is not onely within them but without them and upon them totally possessing and compassing them Not in like measure For before it was here and ther to one or to a few at once but now to a multitude and in a multitude or magnitude To a multitude For there were 120. together Chap. 1. ver 15. In multitude for they were all
in the invective words of St. Stephen Ye stiff-necked and of uncircumcised hearts and ears ye have alwaies resisted the Holy Ghost as did your fathers so do ye Act. 7.51 The holy Ghost intendeth to make new men and true men therefore he comes in the shape of tongues for hee intendeth truth But ye make true men false men religious men lyars your woolfish proselytes to maintain their walking in sheeps cloathing amongst us and your foxes their lurking in our vineyard under the covert of equivocation The Apostle saith An oath is for confirmation an end of all strife Heb. 6.16 But ye teach men to take oathes without any confirmation and so to continue the strife What then will ye plead succession from Saint Peter who was here sealed with an heavenly fiery tongue an emblem of truth No no ye are of your father the Devill for he is a lyar and the Father thereof Joh. 8.44 Again as in regard of the work intended so also the instrument of the work considered the Holy Ghost fitly appeareth in the shape of tongues For by what instrument is this heavenly work of regeneration wrought but by the tongue How shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God Rom. 10. This was the grand Commission that the Holy Ghost came now to seal Go ye into all the World and preach the Gospel unto every creature Mat. 16.15 Seeing therefore he came to set tongues on work and to work by tongues how could he more fitly or properly appear then in the shapes of tongues Well then ye may see here the Ordinance of God concerning mans happinesse how doth he obtain it even by his ears God made him at first by his voice He spake the word and they were made he commanded and they were created Ps 148. The same order he observeth in the regeneration he effecteth it by a voice It pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe 1 Cor. 1.18 There is indeed vox realis as well as vox vocalis A reall as well as a vocall a visible as well as an invisible voice A voice that speaketh to the eye that is the visibility of the creature Their sound is gone out into all lands and their words into the ends of the World There is neither speech nor language but their voice is heard amongst them Ps 19. But this voce doth but make without excuse The invisible things of him from the creation of the World are clearly seen being understood by the things that are made even his eternall power and Godhead so that they are without excuse Rom. 1.20 This voice witnesseth rather against then with the Gentiles For God left not himself without witness in that he did good and gave us rain from Heaven and fruitfull seasons filling our hearts with food and gladness Act. 14.17 But the effectuall saving voice is that which soundeth to the ear in the preaching of the word Receive with meekness the word that is grafted in you which is able to save your souls Jam. 1.21 1. Here is a strain beyond Philosophie 2. A point against Popery 3. Comfort to the blind 4. No discomfort to the deaf 5. Shame and confusion to the obstinate and scornfull that stoppe their ears or hear to mock 1. A strain beyond Philosophy for that will have seeing to be the most excellent of the senses And so indeed in nature it is But if you come to grace and to the height of mans excellencie and perfection then the ear bears the bell away in as much as God hath made that the prime and speciall instrument of saving health to mens souls Though therefore the eye excel in quick apprehending in totall comprehending in certain informing yet it concerneth but nature and naturall things and hath to do with colours not with bodies or substances as the Philosophers themselves confess But the ear hath to do with spirituall and eternall things that are truly substantiall and available to the present and future good of the soul And where then is the wise where is the disputer of this world hath not God made the wisdome of this world foolishnesse 1. Cor. 1.20 Yea hath he not taken the wise in their own craftiness 1 Cor. 3.19 Whiles they most honored the eye hath not God done them most honor by the ear They thought onely of their eyes But God the mean while caught them by their ears and by their eares light cleared their eyes light for before they were blind but now they see The Holy Ghost by tongues hath given them eyesight and made them see 2. Here is a point against Papistry For that even in spirituall things preferreth or at least giveth too much unto the eye especially amongst the ignorant For they teach that Images are lay-mens books But God in revealing himself and his will hath imployed the ear and in a manner silenced the eye and barr'd the use of it in especiall acknowledging of him and exercise of his worship Adam in Paradise had conference with God and heard his voice But what use of his eyes What did he ever fee Moses having a curious desire to see God was he not taught to see best by his ears did not God expresse himself unto him more by proclamation then by vision Exod. 33.18 19. 34.6 And did not Moses warn the people to beware of eye-work because they had onely carework in the receiving of the Law Take good heed unto your selves for ye saw no image in the day that the Lord spake unto you in Horeb. Deut. 4.15 Yea when God sent his Son visible in the flesh yea when he made him most conspicuous in the transfiguration whether did he commend him to the ear or to the eye Not to the eye but to the ear This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased hear him It is hear him not see him Mat. 17.5 Away then with all teaching of Images they be teachers of lies Hab. 2.18 The Holy Ghost appeared in tongues to signifie kind of teaching he intended namely of the ear not of the eye God will have no appearance from the dead therefore no dead appearance to teach us but this to be alsufficient for all They have Moses and the Prophets let them hear them Lu. 16.29 3. He is comfort to the blind Why For the happinesse of the Soul comes by the ear not by the eye Their losse therefore of bodily sight doth not deprive thâ—m of spirituall light but the ear may suffice for that So long then as they have the benefit of hearing the losse of sight should not be grievous In this they lose vanity but in that they obtain verity this gaine may very well drown that losse The Prophet prayeth O turn away mine own eyes lest they behold vanity Ps 119.37 And if in stead of being turned away they be quite taken away the oddes is not great seeing all in
work perfectly good but the best man doth many works absolutely evill I say the best man For if it be true of the best then it must needs hold true of all the rest And though Saint August upon this Psalme by man in the first place doth understand the old man the naturall man And by filius hominis the Son of man doth understand the new man the regenerate man yet his purpose being far enough from mine and yet not contrary to mine I may safely enough take man in the former place at large and indefinitely so as including all men even the best man And yet though I say the best man I do not include our Saviour Christ to whom I know this text is applyed and of him understood Heb 2.6 he was more then a man God and man but I speak of man naturally and properly the best meere man cannot do one work perfectly good the best man doth many works absolutely evill First the best man cannot do one work absolutely or perfectly good This may sufficiently appear by the many expressions which the scripture hath to that purpose as that Ps 143.2 In thy sight shall no man living be justified and that Ps 62.9 surely men of low degree are vanity and men of high degree are a lie and Rom. 3.11 They are all gone out of the way they are altogether become unprofitable there is none that doth good no not one And Rom. 7.18 I know that in me that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing But that one place is instar omnium Is 64.6 we are all as an unclean thing and all our righteonsnesses are as filthy rags This Isaiah was a Prophet and therefore if not the best man yet to be ranked and reckoned in the number of the best And yet his workes yea his best works his righteousnesses yea not onely his but all other mens we may take here to be included All our righteousnesse hee affirmeth to be defiled and so defiled that the translators have for modesty have waived that foulness which is in the propriety of the originall and have given it but that indefinite expression of filthy raggs And to this plain evidence of scripture reason it self must needs subscribe For all our good works and righteousnesse do arise and flow from our faith hope and love But our faith our hope and our love being in this life but in part and unperfect 1 Cor. 13.9 It must needs be that all that proceedeth from them must be likewise unperfect And howsoever the holy Ghost who is in himselfe most perfect be the originall Author of all our goodnesse yet is our goodnesse in it self but unperfect For as a young scholler in his writing discovers his owne defect and unskilfulnesse though a skilful master holdeth his hand so we in all our righteousnesse do discover our own imperfection though the Holy Ghost that perfect workmaster be our Author and guide And as water proceeding out of a pure Fountain passing through a filthy channel loseth its purity and becomes defiled so our holinesse and righteousnesse though it proceed from the pure fountain of grace yet passing through our corrupt will and affections doth lose its purity and becomes defiled according to that Job 14.4 who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean not one I shut up this point therefore with the saying of Saint Augustine Aug. conf lib. 9. ca. 13. vae etiam laudabili vitae hominum si sine misericordia discutias eam Woe be even to the laudable life of man if thou meaning God shouldst search and examine it Which saying is confirmed and made up by that of the Psalmist Ps 130.3 If thou Lord shouldest mark iniquities O Lord who shall stand Again our unworthinesse to Godward appeares as our indisposition to good in that we cannot do one work perfectly good so also in our disposition to evill in that the best man doth many absolutely and truly evill many sinnes If I should goe about to make proofe of this I should but light a candle to the Sun or cast water into the Sea I should take but a needlesse work in hand So plentifull and pregnant is the Scripture in this case and so powerfull is every ones conscience even as a thousand witnesses that we have every one cause enough to cry out with Manasses in his prayer I have sinned above the number of the sand of the Sea my transgressions O Lord are multiplyed my transgressions are exceeding many And with David Ps 38.4 Mine iniquities are gone over mine head as an heavy burden they are too heavy for me And with Saint Paul Rom. 3.23 All have sinned and come short or as some read it are deprived of the glory of God deprived of glory and invested with shame for to us belongeth confusion of face Dan. 9.7 Vse This may make us all to start at the fight of our selves as of the most terrible and fearfull thing for what can be more terrible then to be under the power of sin and consequently of death and condemnation And such an one shall the best man see himself to be if with a single eye hee look simply on himself And at his best he cannot see himself clean without sinne For who can say I have made my heart clean I am pure from my sinne Prov. 20.9 The holy man Job because of the grievous sores that were upon his body cryed out factus sum mihimet ipsi gravis I am become a burden to my selfe Job 7.20 And shall not we being all over-spread not in body onely but also in soul not with sores but with sinnes shall not wee much more cry out and say I am become a burden to my self Did the leprosie of his body make him so grievous to himself and shall the leprosie of our soules nothing disquiet us Was he so oppressed with a pestred carcasse and shall we feel no weight of a festred conscience His body was not himself yet he saith the sores of that make him a burden to himself our soul is our selfe Anima cujusque est quisque every mans soul is himself shall not we say the sinns of that do make us a burden to our self Flie therefore from thy self and run away from thy selfe and never leave running till thou hast run out of thy self and run into Christ till thou hast lost thy selfe and found Christ till thou hast put off thy selfe and put on the Lord Jesus till thou hast gotten thy worthinesse of hell laid upon his Crosse and his worthinesse of Heaven laid upon thy back So Saint Paul in doing what he would not and willing what did not became a burden to himself and cries out Rom. 7.24 O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death And so running out of himself hee runs into Christ saying I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. And so I come to the third and last generall part of the text viz. Gods
providence towards man notwithstanding his vilenesse notwithstanding his unworthinesse That thou art mindfull of him That old and well worn sentence so often used in oratories was never more justly taken up by any then now it may be me Rerum copia verborum inopem facit plenty of matter makes me scanty of words I have a feast here set before me furnished with such varieties that I know not which to tast first A subject so large a discourse so copious that I know not how either to begin or end it For how shall I begin that which hath no beginning or how shall I end that that hath no ending The time would faile me yea my wits and understanding too if I should go about at full to declare it But somewhat I must say of it that ye may see it though but as in a glasse darkly and that ye may know it though but in part and unperfectly Thou art mindfull of him Gods mindfulnesse of man was before time Is in time It shall be after time It was before time in electing him It is in time many waies in creating him in preserving him in redeeming him in raising him It shall be after time in eternall and everlasting glorifying him First it was before time in electing him Before time yes before time reall Nunc initiativum times beginning as to the creature There was imaginary time for ever which was Gods eternity But our time reall began with the Creation to have its notion to us and its distinction and constitution by the motion of the celestiall luminaries Gen. 1.14 And before this our time I say was God mindful of man in electing him For we have it Eph. 1.4 Hee hath chosen us in him that is in Christ before the foundation of the world Before the world or any creature therein was God mindfull of man And so mindfull that he not onely purposed to make man but in his infinite alknowledge foreseeing that man being made would marre destroy and cast away himself again hee chose some whom he would save restore and recover out of that masse of perdition and confusion He chose therefore but not according to works foresseen for that had not been properly chosing if there had been any preexisting cause or provocation for choosing is a most free action And if God had chosen according to works foreseen hee must needs have chosen all or none at all For all once lost in Adam were alike in disposition or rather in indisposition to good works God could see no more of good in one then in another He may bee said to 〈◊〉 all beings as well past and future as present Ye◠in a notionall sense he may be said to see in himself many works that never were or shall be but onely might be if he so pleased to work for he knoweth and he onely the extent of his own power But to say God seeth in the creature that which is not is a contradiction And what good was or is there in Adam or any of his children fallen Even as much good that is as much of spirituall life as is of naturall life in a dead body For In Adam all die 1 Cor. 15.22 Now if a man should go into Golgotha a place of dead mens sculs or could goe down into the bottome of the Sea to looke among the drown'd bodies in a sunk ship in which of those sculs or bodies should hee finde more disosition to to life then in another Indeed the resurrection shall raise them all And God by the first resurrection doth raise whom he will But there is no more disposition to the first in the dead soul then is to the second in the dead body but God in each acteth powerfully and freely And so may be concluded in his electing also to have done According to that Eph. 1.5 Having predestinated us according to the good pleasure of his will Again He chose some a few a small number a a little flock Not simply but comparatively in reference to the greater number of the reprobate O let us admire his mercie that hee would vouchsafe to choose any all being lost let us not call his justice in question why he would not choose all For hee hath mercie on whom he will have mercie Rom. 9.15 Again he chose not indefinitely or at peradventure but a certain number of certain persons A certain number for hee will not make them mere or lesse Of certain persons for hee will not alter or change them And because he will not it may be said he cannot having once decreed hee cannot deny himself 2 Tim. 2.13 With God there is not yea and nay 2 Cor. 1.20 but his foundation remaineth sure 2 Tim. 2.19 It is not to be altered His name is Jehovah his name is I am names of conscience names of continuance names of perfection Yesterday and to day and the same for ever Heb. 13.8 with whom is no variableness or shadow of turning Ja. 1.17 Again he chose them whom he did choose not to beidle not to be secure not to think it needlesse for them now to take care how they live because of the infallibility and immutability of their choosing but he hath chosen us that we should be holy and without blame before him in love Eph. 1.4 And that we should be conformed to the image of his forme Ro. 8.92 From hence as from a fountain do flow all the other works of mercy For why were we created because we were elected why were we redeemed because we were elected Why were wee called why are we sanctified why are we justified why shall we be glorified because we are elected O fountain of grace O welspring of life O unspeakable mercie What is man O Lord that thus beforetime thou wert mindfull of him Secondly God is mindfull of man in time and many waies I have named four In creating him In preserving him In redeeming him In raising him First in creating him He made all things but man in a speciall manner hee made man as I may say with a witnesse other things by his word He spak the word and they were made hee commanded and they were created but man was made by his counsell faciamus hominem let us make man Gen. 1.26 And no marvell for the reason there followeth he was to be a speciall piece hee was to be Gods image Let us make man in our image He made him in his own image in knowledge in righteousnesse and true holinesse In his own Image for he gave him a body potens non mori and a soul non potens mori in respect of his decree a body that might a soul that must live for ever In his own image for the soul is three in distinct properties or faculties vegegation sense reason and yet but one in her unseparable essence In his own image for the soule is in man the Microcosme the little world somwhat alike as God is in the great world Totum in
toto totum in qualibet parte whole in the whole and whole in every part and yet not In loco not included in place 2. Again in time God is mindfull of man secondly in preserving him For God is not like a Shipwright or Carpenter who leaveth his work or building to it self as soon as he hath set it up but God is mindfull of man as well in preserving as in creating him Yea this also to the expresse of Gods perfection may be said that he cannot do he cannot make any thing to be or subsist of it selfe without him For so there should be something where at his power should be limited and whereto his strength should not extend And so hee should not be infinite he should not be almighty he should not be himself he should not be God therefore 't is of necessity that to every work which God maketh hee adde also a butteresse a prop or supporter of his of his power to sustain it which whensoever he taketh away the work what ever it be soon decayeth and perisheth For in him we live and move and have our being Act. 17.28 And when thou hidest thy face they are troubled when thou takest away their breath they die and are turned again to their dust Ps 109.29 And in that Psalme we have a large discourse of the mindfulnesse of God towards man in providing him wine that maketh glad the heart of man and oile to make him a chearfull countenance and bread to strengthen mans heart Yea his providence extendeth to the least things that do concern us There cannot a tear fall from our eyes but he doth bottle it up Put my tears into the bottle P. 56.8 there cannot an hair fall from our heads but he doth take notice of it for even the hairs of our head are all numbred Luk. 12.7 Yea which is of us more considerable because to us more terrible there cannot a word fall from our mouths but he doth register it for every idle word that men shall speak they shall give account hereof in the day of judgement Mat 12.36 3. Again God is mindfull of man thirdly in time in redeeming him And this work hath many parts too many for me to speak of at this time I can but name them His miraculous incarnation his charitable life and peregrination his painfull and shamefull death and passion descension resurrection his ascension And hereto also pertaineth his calling us his sanctifying us his justifying us and his pawning and pledging everlasting life unto us 4. Again fourthly and lastly God is mindful of man in time in raising him hee is mindfull even of our very dust and ashes when we be dead and rotten For saith Job I shall see God in my flesh Job 19.26 And he shall change our vile body and make it like to his glorious body saith Saint Paul Phil. 3.21 And this corruptible must put on incorruption and this mortall must put on immortality 1 Cor. 15.53 And then shall Ezekiels mysticall or parabolicall vision be literally fulfilled Every bone shall come again to his bone and the flesh and sinewes shall grow upon them and the skin shall cover them Ezek. 37. And Saint Aug. de Gen. ad lit lib. 3. ca. 17. is very punctuall and emphaticall upon this point Quasi vero quicquam intersit ad nostram utilitatem ista caro jam examinis per quos transitus eat c. As though saith he it were any thing considerable what becomes of our body being dead seeing that by whatsoever passages it shall go It shall thence be drawn out again by the almighty power of the Creator to be new formed And again in another place Enchirid. ad Laur. cap. 88. Non autem perit Deo terrena materia de qua mortalium creatur caro the earthly matter of mans body is never lost to God sed in quemlibet cinerem pulveremve solvatur but into whatsoever dust or ashes it be dissolved In quoscunque halitus aurasve diffugiat Into whatsoever spirits or airs it fly away In quorumcunque aliorum corporum substantiam vel in ipsa elementa vertatur Into whatsoever substance of other creatures be it into the very elements it be turn'd In quorumcunque animalium etiam hominum cibum cedat unto whatsoever food of other creatures be it of mankind it be converted Illae humanae animae puncto temporis redit It shall at last in a monent of time return to that soul Quae illam primitus ut homo fieret cresceret viveret animavit which did at first it that it might be made a man and live and grow 3. As before time in time so also 3ly and lastly after time God is or shall be mindfull of man in or by eternal everlasting glorifying him After time I say after nunc finiens or terminationum the end or consummation of created time For the day of judgment is called the last day Jo. 6.39 40. and Rev. 10.6 the angell sweareth that time shall be no more Yet then I say when all distinction of time shall grow up into one perfect constant day of eternity then shall God be mindfull of man in bringing him to and preserving him in the fulnesse of joy and pleasure for evermore For we shall be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and so shall we be ever with the Lord. 1 Thes 4.17 O infinite love O unmeasurable mercie O beginlesse O endlesse providence what is man O Lord what is man that thus before time in time and after time thou art mindfull of him I shall include this point and so the whole text with a brief touch of a twofold use This last Doctrine of Gods mindfulnesse of man teacheth us to be thankfull and it teacheth us not to be carefull 1. Vse First it teacheth us to be thankfull For seeing Gods providence is such and so great toward us and it is all Gratis It is but our thankfulnesse that hee requireth for all for he saith who so offereth praise glorifieth me Ps 50.23 And David saith My goodnesse extendeth not to thee Ps 16.2 what a shame will it be for us then to be found unthankfull Praise him therefore for thy soul and for spirituall blessings praise him for thy body and for temporall blessings according to that Ps 101.1 Blesse the Lord O my soul and all that is within me blesse his holy name Blesse the Lord O my soule and forget not all his benefits which forgiveth all thine iniquities there 's for the soule and for spirituall things And ver 5. which satisfieth thy mouth with good things so that thy youth is renewed like the Eagles ther 's for the body and for temporal things 2. Vse Again it teacheth us not to be careful This is our Saviours teaching Mat. 6.35 I say unto you take no thought for your life what ye shall eat or what ye shall drink c. And why ver 26. behold the foules of the air they sow not neither do they reap c. And ver 30. If God so cloath the grasse of the field shall he not much more cloth you Oye of little faith Hee argueth à majore ad minus from the lesse to the greater I may therefore doubtlesse in this argue a majore ad minus from the greater to the lesse He doth the lesser saith Christ therefore he will much more do the greater may I in my sense say therefore he will much more do the lesser He provideth for the soul spirituall things here and eternall things hereafter And if he deal so freely and liberally in those greater matters shall he not much more do the same in these viler earthly things what man having received wine of his friend will be doubtfull whether he would afford him water or no What man seeing his friend send his son to help him will make question whether hee would spare him his servants or no What man seeing his friend offer his life for him will suspect or be jealous whether hee would impart unto him his goods or no And seeing God hath given us the wine of spirituall joyes shall we be doubtfull whethether hee will afford us the water of temporall comforts Seeing God hath sent his son to help us shall we make question whether he will spare us his servants his creatures to serve us Seeing our Saviour hath given his life to redeem us shall we be jealous that he will not impart to us his goods his corne and wine and oile to sustain us No no but cast all our care upon him because he careth for us Yet cast it in humility acknowledging our vilenesse acknowledging our unworthinesse For so humbling our selves we shall be sure to be exalted FINIS