euery yeare of thy whole life For that conscience that should rest for euer with the liuing God that conscience â—hich must euer behold the face of the Sonne of God it cannot be ouer-well cleansed we cannot looke ouer-narrowly to it The more curious we be in searching out of this conscience we are the better occupied I spake of our owne consciences I speake not of our neighbours Thirdly I come to the points wherein euery one of you should trie examine your selues Euery one of you ought to trie and examine your consciences in two things First whether thou be at peace with God who is the Lord of heauen or not Next examine thy conscience whether thou art in loue and amitie with thy neighbour or not Wouldest thou know whether thy conscience be at vnitie and peace with God or not Thou shalt know it this way the God of heauen can haue no societie nor companie with that soule which is alwaies vncleane that is euery way defiled no he cannot Now I speake not so precisely that I make a soule to be fully sanctified and perfectly holy in this life no in this life there are wonderfull iniquities grosse sinnes and great faults wherewith euen the righteous are defiled but this is my meaning There is no soule can be at peace with God or wherewith the Lord can haue any societie but in some measure it must be sanctified and made holy For God cannot make residence in a soule that is alwaies as a stinking dunghill and therefore of force in some measure it must be sanctified there must be so much made cleane in one corner or other of that soule wherein the Lord of heauen by his holy Spirit may make his residence Now let vs see whereby the heart is sanctified Peter Act. 15.9 saith That the soule of man is purified by faith that the heart of man is purged by faith So faith openeth and purgeth the heart By faith in Christ Iesus and in the merits of his bloud we haue peace with God Being iustified by faith we haue peace towards God through our Lord Iesus Christ saith the Apostle Rom. 5.1 Now then this point cometh in That ye are to proue your selues whether ye be in the faith or not as the Apostle saith 2. Cor. 13.5 Proue your selues whether ye are in the faith Examine if your soules be seasoned with this faith for if ye haue not faith in Christ Christ is not in you and if Christ be not in you ye are in an euill state ye are in the estate of the reprobate and damned So euery one ought to looke carefully and see if he haue a beliefe in the bloud of Christ or not whether he belieue to obtaine mercy by his merits and sanctification by his bloud or not For if thou haue no measure of this faith thou hast no measure of peace with God by reason our peace with God is ingendered and groweth daily more and more by true faith in Christ. Now this faith where it is true where it is liuely and couples the heart with God as I haue alreadie said it must breake forth in word and deede it can by no meanes be held in but it will breake forth It must breake out in word in glorifying the God of heauen who hath forgiuen vs our sinnes it must breake forth in word by giuing a notable confession of those sinnes wherein we haue offended him It must breake out in deed in doing good works to testifie to the world that thing which is within thy heart to testifie to the world that thou who hast this faiâ—h art a new man that by thy good example of life and conuersation thou maist edifie thy brethren the simple ones of the Church of God and that by thy holy life thou mayest draw sinners to repentance that they seeing thy good light may be compelled to glorifie God in thee Then in the first point of triall let vs looke to these three to the heart to the mouth to the haâ—d Take heed that there be an harmonie betwixt these three for if the heart be inwardly coupled with God there is no doubt but the mouth will outwardly glorifie him and if thy heart and mouth be renewed and be one of necessity thou wilt expresse it in thy conueâ—sation There must be an agreement betwixt the heart and the hand thy conuersation must be changed with the heart and be holy honest and godly as the heart is So that if thy conuersation be good it is a sure token that thou art at one with God but if thy conuersation be not good speake what thou wilt thy heart is but defiled this true and liuely faith hath no place in it Then wouldest thou know when thou art at one with God When thy conuersation thy heart and thy mouth say all one thing then without question thou hast the worke of faith wrought by the holy Spirit in thy heart which maketh thee to be at peace with God This is the first point wherein ye should trie your selues The next point is loue ye must trie whether ye be in loue and charitie with your neighbours or not for as thou art not coupled with God but by the hand of faith so thou art not coupled with thy neighbour nor ioyned with any member of Christ in this world but by the hand of loue amity and charity Take away loue thou art not a member of this body for loue is the maister sinnew and couples all these members of Christs bodie together and makes them to grow vp in a spirituall and mysticall vnity loue is the onely marke whereby the children of God members of Christs bodie are knowne from the rest of the world loue is that holy oyle that refresheth our soules and makes vs like vnto God and the moâ—e we grow in loue the more God by his Spirit dwelleth in vs for God is loue So that except in some measure loue towards thy neighbour dwell in thy heart thou canst haue no societie with thy neighbour and far lesse with God If the manners of men were examined by this rule we should find a multitude of godlesse people in this Country who haue their hearts raging with malice one against another and where the diuell and the malicious spirit dwelleth there is no place for the holy Spirit And although the Lord hath gone about by all meanes possible early and late to instruct them and to infuse into them this precious loue and amity towards God and their neighbour and so to alter their conditions yet they will not suffer themselues to be wakened vntill the great vengeance and malediction of God fall vpon them This loue this honest and godly conuersation floweth alwaies from the roote of faith So that if thy heart haue faith in any measure be it neuer so little in that same measure thou must haue loue towards thy neighbour and this loue is neuer idle but is vttering it selfe in one effect or other And
despaire And though Dauid cry I cannot away with this consuming fire I cannot endure the fire of the Lords iealousie yet he despaireth not But the Lord casteth his seruants very low To what end To the end that they may feele in their hearts and consciences what Christ suffered for them on the Crosse in soule and body Yea we would thinke that there had bene plaine collusion betwixt the Father and the Sonne and that his suffering had bene no suffering except we felt in our soules in some measure the hell which he sustained in fullmeasure So to the end that we might clearely vnderstand the bitternesse of sinne that we might know how farre we are indebted to Christ who suffered such torments for our sinnes and that we may be the more able to thanke him to praise his holy Name he suffers his owne seruants to doubt but not to despaire he forgiues their doubtings he forgiues their stammerings and in his owne time he supports them and brings vs vnto the waters of life These doubtings as I haue often said may lodge in one soule with faith for doubting and faith are not directly opposite onely faith and despaire are opposite and therefore faith and despaire cannot lodge both in one soule For despaire ouerthroweth the pillars of hope and where there is no hope there can be no faith But as for doubting it may lodge it will lodge and hath lodged in the soules of the best seruants that euer God had Marke the speech of the Apostle We are alwaies in doubt saith he but we despaire not So doubting and faith may lodge both in one soule And from whence floweth this doubting We know that in the regenerate man there is a remnant of corruption for we haue not our heauen in this earth though we begin our heauen here yet we get it not fully here And if all corruption were taken away what should there want of a full heauen here So it is onely begun in this life and not perfected therefore there remaines in the soule a great corruption which is neuer idle but continually occupied This corruption is euer bringing forth the birth of sinne more or lesse euery sinne hurts the conscience a hurt conscience impaireth the perswasion so comes in the doubting For there is not a sinne that we commit but it banisheth light and casteth a mist ouer the eye of our faith whereby we doubt and stagger in our sight and were it not that the Lord in his mercie taketh vs vp giueth vs the gift of repentance and maketh vs euery day as oft as we sin to crie as oft for mercie and so to repaire the losse that we haue of faith to repaire the losse that we haue of the feeling of mercie we would wholly put out that same light But it pleaseth the Lord though we be euery day sinning to giue vs the gift of repentance and by repentance to repaire our faith to repaire the sense and feeling of mercie in vs and to put vs in that same state of perswasion wherein we were before Therefore if God begin not continue not end not with mercie in that very moment that he absâ—racts his mercie from vs we will decay So we must be diligent in calling for mercie we must be instant continually in seeking to haue a feeling of mercie Thus much for thâ— doubting Now howsoeuer it be sure and certaine that the faith of the best children of God is often subiect to doubting yet it is as sure and certaine that it is neuer wholly extinct albeit it were neuer so weake yet it shall neuer vtterly decay and perish out of the heart wherein it once maketh residence This comfort and consolation the Spirit of God hath set downe in his word to support the troubled heart That howsoeuer faiâ—h be weake yet a weake faith is faith and where that faith is there will euer be mercie Ye haue in Romanes 11.29 that the gifts and calling of God are without repentance But among all the gifts that are of this sort faith is one of the chiefest therefore it cannot be reuoked againe Ye haue in Iude 3. That faith was once giuen vnto the Saints Once giuen that is constantly giuen neuer to be changed nor vtterly taken from them The Lord will not repent him of this gift but the soule which he hath loued once he will loue perpetually It is true and certaine that the sparkles of faith which are kindled in the heart by the Spirit of God may be obscured and smothered for a long time they may be couered with the ashes of our owne corruption and with our owne ill deeds and wickednesse into which we daily fall It is true that the effects of a liuely faith will be interrupted and that thy lusts and affections will preuaile for a long time so that when thou lookest on thy selfe vpon the iudgements of God that hang ouer thy soule and bodie when thou lookest vpon thy dissolute life and on the anger of God against this dissolute life in the mind in the heart and conscience of him that hath so smothered and oppressed his faith it will oft times come to passe in his owne iudgement hauing his eyes fixed on himselfe onely that he will thinke himselfe to be a reprobate to be an outcast and neuer able to recouer mercie Where this corruption bursteth forth in this grosse manner after that the Lord hath called thee looke how soone the Lord beginneth to waken thee againe incontinent thou fixest thine eyâ—s vpon thine owne life and entrest into a deepe consideration as well of the weight of thy sinne as of the weight of the wrath of God which thou seest following thereupon and art loath to remit these cogitations to thinke vpon the deepenesse of the mercie of God Resting on these considerations it cannot but come to passe that in thine owne iudgement thou art an out-cast And yet God forbid it were so for though these sparks of the Spirit be couered by the corruption that is within thy soule yet these sparkles are not wholly put out And to let you see that they are not extinguished though they breake not forth in the outward effects that the world may know thee to be a faithfull man as heretofore yet these sparkles are not idle thou shalt find them not to be idle in thee As for confirmation of my argument that howsoeuer our bodies are let loose to all dissolution after our effectuall calling within vs in our soules that yet the sparkles are not idle ye see that though the fire be couered with the ashes yet it is a fire there is no man will say that the fire is put out though it be couered No more is faith put out of the soule though it be so couered that it neither giue heate nor light outwardly An example of this we haue clearely in the Prophet Dauid after his lamentation in that Psalme of Repentance Psal. 51.11 he prayeth
mouth Marke this That if it were not of Gods speciall grace and mercy that he giueth me an eye to perceiue him a mouth to receiue him I would refuse him as wel as they So this Argument holdeth not Christ is offered to all Ergo he is receiued of all Happy were they if they could receiue him Thus far for the 3. Argumēt What resteth now for the full vnderstanding of the Sacrament These things remaine That we vnderstand the Sacramentall speeches that are vsed in the Sacrament for we vse to speake of them God vseth to speake of them and the Ancients vse to speake of them We vse to say that the soule eateth the body of Christ and drinketh the bloud of Christ. These speeches would be opened to you how the soule is said to eate the body and drinke the bloud of Christ these speeches are Sacramentall yet ye are not the wiser but I will make it plaine by Gods grace They are Sacramentall what is that Ye know it is proper to the body to eate and drinke they are the proper actions of the body onely Now they are ascribed to the soule by a translation by a figuratiue manner of speaking That which is proper to the body is ascribed to the soule and it is said that the soule eateth and drinketh The eating of the soule doth resemble the eating of the body then the eating of the soule is no other thing but the applying of Christ to the soule to beleeue that he hath shed his bloud for me that he hath purchased remission of sinnes for me Wherefore then call you this an eating Thy body eateth when thou appliest the meate to thy mouth If then the eating of the body be no other thing but the applying of the meat to the mouth the eating of the soule is no other thing but the applying of the nourishment to the soule Then ye see what is meant by the eating and drinking of the soule no other thing but the applying of Christ to my soule and the applying of his death and passion to my soule and this is onely done by faith therefore he that lacked faith cannot eate Christ. Thus farre for the eating and drinking of the soule which are Sacramentall speeches There remaineth now of all these great things of al this doctrine which hath bin taught but this one lessō That thou learne to apply Christ rightly to thy soule Thou art a great Diuine if thou hast learned this wel for in the right application of Christ to the sick soule to the wounded conscience and diseased heart here begins the fountaine of all our felicity and the wel-spring of all our ioy And I will tell you what this application worketh Obserue what the presence of thy soule within thee suppose thou want Christ in thy soule doth to this earthly body to this lumpe of clay as by the presence of the soule it liueth it moueth it feeleth as the soule giueth to the body life mouing and senses that same very thing doth Christ vnto thy soule Hast thou once laid hold of and applyed him to thee As the soule quickens thy body so he quickens thy soule not with an earthly or temporall life but with the life which he liueth in heauen he makes thee to liue that same life which the Angels liue in heauen he maketh thee to moue not with worldly motions but with heauenly spirituall and celestiall motions Againe he inspires in thee not outward senses but heauenly senses he worketh in thee a spirituall feeling that in thine owne heart and conscience thou mayst find the effect of this word So by the coniunction of Christ with my soule get a thousand times greater benefits then the body doth by the soule for the body by the presence of the soule getteth onely an earthly and temporall life subiect to continuall misery but by the presence of Christ in my soule I see a blessed life l feele a blessed life and that same life takes daily more and more increase in me Then the ground of all our perfection and blessednesse standeth in this coniunction suppose thou mightest liue Methushelaes yeers and wert euer seeking yet if in the last houre thou get this coniunction thou must thinke thy trauell well bestowed thou hast gotten enough for if we haue obtained Christ we haue gotten al with him Then the applying of Christ to my soule is the fountaine of all my ioy felicity Now let vs see how we get this coniunction This is a spirituall coniunction a coniunction hard and difficult to be purchased obtained gotten of vs. How then is this coniunction brought about which are the meanes of this coniunction on Gods part and which are the means on our part to get Christ to put Christ in our soules and to make Christ one with vs There is one meanes on Gods part that helpeth vs vnto Christ and there is another on our part On Gods part there is the holy Spirit which offereth the body and bloud of Christ to vs and on our part there must be a meanes or else though he offer we will not receiue Therefore of necessity there must be faith in our soules to receiue that which the holy Spirit offers to receiue that heauenly food of the body and bloud of Christ which the holy Spirit offers Then faith and the holy Spirit are the two meanes of this spirituall and heauenly coniunction By these two meanes by faith and by the holy Spirit I get the body of Christ the body of Christ is mine and he is giuen to my soule Now here comes in the question How canst thou say that the body of Christ is giuen or deliuered to thee seeing the body of Christ is sitting at the right hand of God the Father and looke how great distance is betwixt heauen and earth as great distance is there betwixt the body of Christ and thy body how then say ye that the body of Christ is giuen to you The Papists vnderstand not this and therefore they imagine a grosse and carnall coniunction Except the Spirit of God reueale these things they cannot be vnderstood The Spirit of God must illuminate our mindes and be planted in all our hearts before we can come to the vnderstanding of this Then wouldest thou vnderstanding of this Then wouldest thou vnderstand how Christ is giuen thee This ground is true that the body of Christ is a◠the right hand of the Father the bloud of Christ is at the right hand of the Father yet notwithstanding though there be as great distance betwixt my body and the body of Christ as is betwixt heauen and earth yet Christs body is giuen to me because I haue a title to his body giuen to me the right and title which is giuen to me of his body and bloud makes me to possesse his body and bloud The distance of the place hurteth not my title nor my right for if any of you haue a peece of Land
last exercise Now in the words which I haue read first of all he confirmeth that which he said vnto the King and he maketh him sure that whatsoeuer God hath spoken it shall be found in experience and for his surety he giueth him a signe a wonderfull signe the like whereof was neuer heard of nor seene before The manner of the giuing of the signe was this First of all the king he seeketh a signe Secondly the Lord granteth a signe Yea looke in what manner the King sought it in that same manner it is granted Thirdly the signe is wrought and manifested not by the power of the Prophet but by the vertue of God To come backe then to the first the King seeketh a signe as may be seene 2. Kings 20. and surely in seeking of it he did not amisse for if we looke to the circumstance of the history he is plainely compelled to seeke it for as Augustine sayth writing on this same place concerning the miracles of holy writs Whyle as saith he the Prophet Isaiah propoundeth in an houre two contrary sentences wâ—ich could not both stand it behoueth one of them to be câ—nfirmed by a signe and so it was need Then I say the King faileth not in seeking of a signe or as if he had said after this manner to the Prophet thou camest euen now and said it bâ—houed me to die thou returnest in an instant and sayest that I shall liue Whereby shall I know this last to be true and what token shall I haue of it Was it necessary then surely it was necessary As to the seeking of the signe he sought it not of incredulity nor to the end to tempt God but to strengthen confirme his weake faith which is weake in vs all And a weake faith suppose it be weake yet it is true faiâ—h for if our faith be true and liuely howbeit it be weake it is the right faith It is required of faith that so much as is of it it be true and liuely But so long as it is here weake shall it be Then for the strengthening of his weake faith it was necessary that he should haue sought a signe which was done no doubt by the aduice of the Spirit of God It is true the wicked haue sought signes as Mat. 12. and 16. But when they seeke them their heart is voide of faith for they cannot seeke them to confirme the thing they haue not but they seeke them of incredulity and of contempt of God Againe there is another sort who when signes are offered they will not receiue them as Achas this mans father when the signe was offered to him by Isaiah and giuen to him he would not haue it but he did cast it off by a shift This king is not so but he seeketh a signe for the strengthening of his weake faith And in this doing he followeth the example of the good seruants of God who past before Gedeon before him sought a signe Iudge 6. Moses also that was before him sought a signe for the confirming strengthening of their faith So I say the King in seeking of this signe doth not amisse and to testifie that he doth no wrong the Lord granteth it vnto him which he would not haue done if he had done amisse in seeking of it Beside this he giueth him his choice in this signe for looke in what manner he craued it in that same manner it is granted vnto him which testifieth that he did not amisse in seeking of it As to the maner of the signe how he sought it and how it was granted by God it is this shortly The King desireth that not onely the shadow of the degrees whereby the houres were discerned in Achas Diall should bee brought backe but also he desireth that the Sunne with the shadow should be bâ—ought backe so many degrees Now the Sunne had gone forward in his course and had spent ten houres of the day so he had but two houres to his going downe In effect therefore he desireth the Sunne to be brought backe these ten houres which he had spent So that the day which by nature should haue lasted but for the space of twelue houres by the drawing backe of the Sunne in an instant is made to last for the space of twenty two houres Looke if this was a wonder or not Thus farre for the meaning of the wonder and the manner thereof Ye see this wonder was manifested partly in the bodie of Achaz diall and partly in the bodie of the Sunne Now in this that it is shewed in the bodie of the diall it letteth vs see that the accurate distinction of seasons and times togither with the arts and sciences that bring them are not altogither displeasant before God And further it letteth vs see that these same sciences whereby the seasons of times are discerned had place in Iudah in Achaz dayes for naturally we haue that knowledge to discerne the seasons of the course of the day and of the course of the night naturally we haue that As to the day we deuide it into the dawning morning noone euening and in like manner the night into euening midnight and cockcrow Now time hath brought in these arts and sciences which haue brought in a more accurate distinction of times and seasons These obseruations appeare clearely to haue had place in Iudah in Achaz dayes We reade not that these instruments entred in Grecia or Rome not in Grecia before Anaximenes Milesius brought them in Not in Rome before one Marcus Valerius Messala brought them in And he brought them out of Sicilia foorth of a Citie called Catine Marcus Varro brought in a more accurate thereafter Alwaies this was the first but I leaue these particulars I insist not in them And I come to that which may most edifie you in the faith of God So I say this signe was wrought in the bodie of the diall and also it was wrought in the body of the Sunne It was wrought in the diall which was a publike worke set vp in a publicke place vpon the head of the steps of the staire of the pallace against the Temple where the whole Citie resorted so that the woâ—ke was knowne to the whole Citie and consequently to all Iudah and that by reason of the publike place Secondly it is wrought in the bodie of the Sunne that all the world might see the wonder in the Sunne as well as Iudah did both in Sunne and diall that they might be conuicted seeing him in his wonderfull works who of nature is inuisible that they might say with themselues We are out of the way and haue worshipped the wrong God leauing the right God For surely when I looke on the wonders which God hath shewed from time to time on this King I am moued to thinke that God had purposely brought him into these extremities and great dangers that in his wonderfull deliuerances he might be knowne to the
in respect that faith is the ground whereupon all the rest depends and in respect that this fayth is such a Iewell as without the which it is not possible for any of you to please God without which all your deedes are abhomination before him without the which you are in the greatest miserie which miserie is so much the more terrible in that you are ignorant of it is it not good reason that ye know and vnderstand how this faith is first wrought and then nourished in your soules by the holy Spirit that seeing how it is created and the maner how it is brought about ye may examine your consciences and see whether ye may be in the faith or not My purpose was to haue insisted longer on this matter then this time will suffer Now therefore as time will permit and God shall giue grace I wil let you vnderstand how the holy Spirit imployes his trauaile in the heart and minde of man and what paines the holy Ghost taketh in creating and forming this Iewell of faith in your soules Yet before I enter this worke to let you see the trauailes of the Spirit of God in working of this fayth in your hearts it is necessarie and more then necessarie that ye vnderstand first your owne miserie and infirmitie and that ye know how the Lord was induced to recouer you out of your old estate and to recreate you who were lost by the fall of your father Adam Then to consider of this matter more deepely I offer to your remembrances this ground That man vniuersally and euery one particularly being corrupted and lost and that by our first fathers fall for if there were no more but that same first fault and sinne of his we are all of vs iustly condemned to a double death both of bodie soule for euer Man thus vniuersallie and particularlie being vtterlie lost without any hope at all of recouery left in his soule without any sense of the recouery of that former estate or repairing of that Image which he had lost through sinne long before he being I say lost by this sinne and left in this desperate estate in himselfe what doth God The euerliuing God onely wise whose waies are vnserchable hath found out a way how that man this way lost yet he may be saued herein he sought counsell from whom Not from any â—reature but he counselled with himselfe The persons of the Trinitie tooke counsell of themselues one God was moued to seeke counsell from himselfe onely moued in himselfe for he had not an externall principall without himselfe to induce him So he seeking this counsell at himselfe and being moued in himselfe thereto as Ephes. 1.9 what doth he When all men should haue died for euer it pleased him of his infinite mercy to select out of all and to elect a certaine number out of the lost race of Adam that should haue perished for euer In this his counsell and decree moued I say of himselfe and seeking counsell from himselfe onely he selects a certaine number out of this rotten race which certaine number he will haue sanctified he will haue iustified he will haue glorified And therefore to bring to passe the worke of their saluation what doth he He appoints his owne naturall sonne for he had but one naturall son he appoints the second person of the Trinity his owne naturall sonne God in power glory and maiestie as high as himselfe equall with God the father in all things he appoints him to worke this worke to bring to passe this worke of our redemption and eternall saluation This is but the mystery of it in some measure disclosed And therefore in the fulnes of time for he dispenseth all things according to his wisedome at such time as he appointed he makes his sonne to come downe to seise himselfe in the wombe of the Virgin to take on our flesh to take on the likenesse of sinne he tooke not on sin but he tooke on the likenes of sin What call I that likenes Our flesh is the likenesse of sinne he tooke on our flesh and nature the likenes of sinne which was perfectly sanctified the very moment of his conception in the very wombe of the Virgin He tooke on this flesh that in this flesh and nature sinne might be banished and cast out of vs for euer And whereas we should all of vs haue gone one-way for there was no exception of persons by nature Christ Iesus our sauiour hath elected vs and according as his Father in his secret election before the beginning of the world had elected vs the same Christ Iesus in his owne time calleth vs and maketh vs partakers of that saluation which he hath purchased and he repaires not onely that image which was lost in our forefather Adam he placeth vs not in a terrestriall paradise where Adam was placed at the beginning and what more could haue bene sought by vs but he giues vs a farre more excellent image then we lost he placeth vs in a more high and in a more celestiall paradise then we lost For so much the more heauenly is the paradise which he giues vs as the second Adam is more excellent then the first and as the Sonne of God and God himselfe is farre aboue any creature that euer was man or Angell Therefore it comes to passe that by the benefite of the second Adam Christ Iesus our Sauiour the Sonne of God whereas had we remained in that Image wherein our forefather was created we should haue setled our selues in the earth for euer we could not haue craued a better paradise then an earthlie paradise for earthlie tabernacles By benefit of the Son of God I say it cometh to passe that we are plucked vp out of the earth to the heauen and to a heauenly paradise And what haue we to do with heauen Are we not made of the earth to returne to the earth Becomes not an earthly paradise an earthly body Yet the Lord in his mercy sendeth downe his Sonne to draw vs vp out of the earth to the heauen This is so high a thing that it cannot be easily considered For this drawing of vs to a heauenly paradise is a thing more then could haue bene thought on That we should liue the life of Angels in heauen how could the heart of man thinke on this Yet it pleased the liuing Lord in the great riches and bowels of his mercie and in the exceeding greatnes of the power of his mercie towards vs the Apostle in that Epistle to the Ephesians cannot get words enough to expresse this he knowes not how to begin nor how to end when he speakes of the riches of that mercie and if ye looke well into that Epistle to the Ephesians ye shall finde more high and excelleÌ„t stiles giuen to the riches of that mercie in that Epistle then in any other part of the Scripture It pleased him I say of his owne mercie not to giue vs simply the
what is my heart and mind doing There is not one of you but haue experience as I my selfe haue in what estate the heart and mind is before that this light enter The mind lieth drowned in blindnesse and the heart is hardned and they both conspire together in vice to set vp an Idoll in stead of God a domesticall and inuisible Idoll what sort of Idoll â—s that No doubt some worldly or fleshly affection or other this is set vp in the throne of thy heart and on this Idoll thou bestowest the seruice of thy whole heart of thy whole mind of thy whole soule and bodie So that the seruice of thy soule and bodie which should be bestowed vpon God onely is imployed vpon that Idoll which is set vp in thy heart that is in the place of God in the stead of the most high God And thou art more addicted to the seruice of that Idoll then euer thou wast to the seruice of the liuing God yea vntill such time that this Idoll of ours be banished and that this blindnesse whereby this Idoll is serued be takâ—n away there is not one of you but are seruants to one lust or other and thy soule that should be consecrated to the seruice of the liuing God is imployed vpon one affection or other vpon some worldly or fleshly lust of thine owne But from the time that the Lord beginneth to scatter the clouds of our naturall minds and vnderstanding and beginneth to chase away this thicke mist of the darke soule and placeth therein some sparke of heauenly light which floweth out of Christ and whereas we were children of the night and darknesse before he maketh vs to be light in the Lord and to be children of the light and of the day Then we see that all the things in the world besides the liuing God are vanities deceiueable allurements vnconstant shadowes fleeting and flowing without any abiding and then we see that our hearts and our minds were set on euill continually Then we begin to abhor that Idoll and to seeke to serue God onely Now except the Lord of his mercie and goodnesse place in vs this light vntill such time as we get some glimmering of this light we can neuer see our owne vanitie nor yet see God This then is the first worke of the Spirit he banisheth darknesse and errors placeth light in our minds Now this first worke of the Spirit is tearmed oftentimes in the Scripture vnder the name of faith for the mind hath it owne assent and perswasion in the owne kind as wel as the heart hath therefore the mind being illuminate and seasoned with this light the assenting knowledge in the same mind is called faith The Apostles and Euangelists giue to this knowledge the name of faith for from the time that thou once hast an eye to see God and whom he hath sent Christ Iesus when once thou gettest a sight of him and accesse to him if it were no more then in the mind it is called faith But we must not stand still here if faith go no further then the mind it is not the faith that we are seeking For the faith that iustifieth and doth vs good must open the heart as well as it openeth the mind it must banish that Idoll and affection out of the heart and in stead thereof place a throne for Christ Iesus So that except the good Spirit of God go further then the mind and banish this Idoll as well out of our hearts as out of our minds we haue not that iustifying faith whereby we may looke for mercie Yea the Spirit of God must not onely stay at the inlightening of thy mind but it must mollifie this heart of thine and change thine affections And whereas thy affections were wicked and euill Gods Spirit must change thy will and he neuer can change thy will except he make the ground of thy heart good that it may be set on God and bring forth good fruite abundantly to the owner And what teacheth this This teacheth you to seeke for an honest heart and to seeke instantly vntill ye obtaine it For what auaileth it any man to know what is good or what is euill except he haue a way shewed him how he shall eschue the euill and a meanes giuen him to make himselfe partaker of the good Is not this an idle and vnprofitable knowledge to me to see a farre off and to know that this is good for me when I find not a meanes how to be partaker of that good that it may be especially good to me Is it not an idle knowledge also to perceiue that this is ill for me that it will do me hurt if I do it and yet that same very thing I will do no other So the Spirit of God linketh these two together in this worke and as he reformeth the mind he reformeth also the heart and maketh you to be partakers of that good which ye see and to eschue that euill which ye perceiue And this is the second worke of the Spirit not onely to present a thing to thee but to make it thine in effect For howbeit the mind would do this part neuer so well and let thee see that Christ is thine and present him to thee neuer so often yet if thy heart be not reformed that will and crooked affection that is in thy heart will preferre it selfe to Christ and will make thee to account all but follie in respect of that Idoll And therefore it were an idle and a foolish thing to me to see my saluation except I get grace to be partaker of it and what auaileth it thee to see the works of the diuell to see thine owne sinnes that slay thee except thou get grace to eschue them And so the second worke of the Spirit is this he enters into the heart he danteth the heart and wonderfully changeth it making the will of it obedient he mollifieth the affection which was hard before in such sort that it is made to poure out thy affection in some measure on the liuing God whereas it was poured out on one Idoll or other of thine owne before Then except the heart wil do his part as the mind doth his part the whole soule is not consecrate to God for God hath not made the soule that the heart should serue thee and the mind onely should serue him but thy seruice is then onely acceptable to God when thou consecratest thy heart as well as thy mind to him Now this matter is so cleare that it needeth not to be illustrated by similitude yet to make it more plaine vnto you I will shew you by a similitude that the apprehension of the mind is not enough except ye get the apprehension of the heart also In corporall things in meate and drinke which serue for the vse of your bodies there must be of this meate and drinke two sorts of apprehensions and as there is two sorts of
apprehension of the meate and drinke that is the foode of the body so there is two sorts of apprehension of the body and bloud of Christ Iesus which is our meate and drinke spirituall Of meate and drinke corporall there is an apprehension by the eye and by the taste that while the meate is present vnto you on the table your eye taketh a view of that meate discerneth it and maketh choice of it and not only the eye but also the taste discerneth the meate and the taste approouing it that is called the first apprehension Now vpon this which is the first the second apprehension followeth that is after that ye haue chewed that meate swallowed it and sent it to your stomacke where it digesteth and conuerteth into your nouriture then in your stomacke ye get the second apprehension But if your eye like not that meate neither your taste like it the second apprehension followeth not for thou wilt spet it out againe or reiect it preferring some other meate vnto it that thou likest better That meate which thou likest not enters neuer into thy stomacke and so it can neuer be conuerted into thy nourishment for it is onely the second apprehension of the meate that is the cause of the nourishment of the body in our corporall foode so that if ye chew not this meate and swallow it it feeds you not then it is onely the second apprehension that nourisheth our bodies It is euen so in spirituall things so farre as they may be compared in the foode of Christ Iesus who is the life and nouriture of our soules and consciences There must be two sorts of apprehension of Christ Iesus The first apprehension is by the eye of the mind that is by our knowledge and vnderstanding for as the eye of the body discerneth by an outward light so the eye of the mind discerneth by an inward and renewed vnderstanding whereby we get the first apprehension of Christ. Now if this first apprehension of Christ like vs well then the next followeth we begin to cast the affection of our hearts on him we haue good will to him for all our affections proceede from our will and our affections being renewed and made holy we set them wholly vpon Christ. We loue him and if we loue him we take hold of him and digest him that is we apply him to our soules and so of this loue liking of him the second apprehension doth follow But if we haue no will to him if we haue no loue nor liking of him what do we Then we reiect him and preferre our owne Idoll and the seruice of our owne affections to him and so the second apprehension followeth not We cannot digest him and if we digest him not that spirituall life cannot grow in vs for marke in what place the eye serues to the bodie in the same roome serueth knowledge and vnderstanding to thy soule and looke in what place thy hand and thy mouth thy taste and thy stomacke serue vnto thy body in that very place serue the heart and affections vnto thy soule So that as our bodies cānot be nourished except our hands take and our mouthes eate the meate whereby the second apprehension may follow likewise our soules cannot feede on Christ except we hold him and embrace him heartily by our wils and affections For we come not to Christ by any outward motion of our bodies but by an inward motion apprehension of the heart For God finding vs all in a reprobate sence he bringeth vs to Christ by reforming the affection of our soules by making vs to loue him And therefore the second apprehension whereby we digest our Sauiour will neuer enter into our soules except as he pleaseth the eye so he please the will and the affection also Now if this come to passe that our wils and affections are wholly bent vpon Christ then no doubt we haue gotten this Iewell of faith Haue ye such a liking in your minds such a loue in your hearts of Christ that ye will preferre him before all things in the world then no question faith is begun in you Now after a thing is begun there is yet more required for though this faith be formed in your minds in your hearts and soules yet that is not enough but that which is formed must be nourished and he who is conceiued must be entertained and brought vp or else the loue that is begun in me by the holy Spirit except by ordinary meanes it be daily entertained and nourished it will decay except the Lord continue the working of his holy Spirit it is not possible that I can continue in the faith And how must we nourish and keepe faith in our soules Two manner of waies First we nourish faith begun in our soules by hearing of the word not of euery word but by hearing of the word of God preached and not by hearing of euery man but by hearing the word preached by him that is sent For this is the ordinarie meanes whereunto the Lord hath bound himselfe he will worke faith by the hearing of the word and receiuing of the Sacraments And the more that thou hearest the word and the otfner that thou receiuest the Sacraments the more thy faith is nourished Now it is not onely by hearing of the word and receiuing of the Sacraments that we nourish faith The word and Sacraments are notable of themselues to nourish this faith in vs except the working of the holy Spirit be conioyned with their ministerie But the word and the Sacraments are said to nourish faith in our soules because they offer and exhibite Christ vnto vs who is the meate the drinke and life of our soules and in respect that in the word and Sacraments we get Christ who is the foode of our soules therefore the word and Sacraments are said to nourish our soules As it is said Act. 2.42 The Disciples of Christ continued in the Apostles doctrine and fellowship breaking of bread and prayers by these meanes entertaining augmenting and nourishing the faith that was begun in them Then the holy Spirit begets this faith workes this faith creates this faith nourisheth entertaineth this faith in our soules by hearing the word preached and by the receiuing of the Sacraments which are the ordinarie meanes whereby the Lord nourisheth vs and continueth this spirituall foode with vs. For obserue by what meanes the spirituall life is begunne by the same meanes it is nourished and entertained as this temporall life is entertained and nourished by the same means whereby it is begun Then seeing by these meanes the holy Spirit begets this worke of faith in our soules it is our duty to craue that he would continue the worke which he hath begunne And for this cause we should resort to the hearing of the word when it is preached and to the receiuing of the Sacraments when they are ministred that we may be fedde in our soules to life
because the Lord of heauen hath his eye continuallie vpon the conscience the eye of God is neuer from the conscience and heart of man as I proued to you by diuerse places Next because this God hath chosen his lodging and hath set downe his throne to make his residence in the conscience Therefore that he may dwell in cleannesse ye ought to haue a regard to his dwelling place Thirdly he is the Lord yea the onely Lord of this conscience who hath power onely to controlle who onely hath power to saue or to cast away therefore that it may do good seruice to thy owne Lord thou oughtest to take heede to thy conscience And last of all in respect that the health of thy soule standeth in the estate of thy conscience and if thy soule be in good health thy bodie cannot be ill therefore in respect that the soule and body depend vpon the estate of the conscience euery one of you should carefully looke to your consciences I will not amplifie this but leaue it to your memories how the health of the soule and welfare of the soule should be kept Next I come in the third and last place to the points in the which euery one of you should trie and examine your consciences And as ye may remember I set downe two points wherein ye ought to put your consciences in triall First to know whether your consciences were at peace with God or not Secondly whether your consciences were in loue and charitie and in amitie with your neighbour or not In these two points chiefly ye must trie and examinâ— your selues To know whether ye be at peace with God or not ye must first trie whether ye be in the faith or not as the Apostle saith whether ye be in the faith of Christ or not For being in the faith and iustified thereby of necessitie ye must haue peace with God Then the next care must be to trie your faith and to see whether ye haue faith or not Faith can no waies be tried but by the fruits Faith cannot be iudged of by me that looke vpon it onely but by the effects Therefore to trie whether ye be in the faith or not marke the fruits Take heede to thy mouth take heede to thy hand take heede to thy words and to thy deeds for except thou glorifie God in thy mouth confesse to thy saluation and except thou glorifie him also in thy deeds and make thy holy life a witnesse of thy holy faith all is but vaine all is but meere hypocrisie Therefore to know the sinceritie of thy faith thou must take heed that there be a harmonie betweene thy hand thy mouth and thy heart that there be a naturall consent that thy doings preiudge not thy heart that thy mouth preiudge not thy heart but that mouth and hand may testifie the sinceritie of the heart If the heart the hand and the mouth consent and agree in one harmonie together no question that heart that breaketh forth into so good fruits is coupled with God there is no question the light of thy actions the beames shining of thy life shall make the name of thy good God to be glorified Therefore the whole weight of thy triall stands chiefly vpon this point to see whether we be in the faith or not to trie and examine whether Christ dwell in vs by faith or not for without faith there can be no coupling or conioyning betwixt vs and Christ without faith our hearts cannot be sanctified and cleansed and without faith we cannot worke by charitie so all depends on this onely And therefore that ye might the better vnderstand whether ye haue faith or no I was somewhat the more exact in this matter and I began to let you see how the holy Spirit createth faith and worketh faith in your soules hearts and minds I began to shew you what order the holy Spirit kâ—pt in forming in creating this notable instrument in your hearts minds Not onely how he ingenders and begins faith but also how he entertaineth it how he nourisheth it And I shewed you the externall meanes and instruments which he vseth to this effect To beget faith in our soules the holy Spirit vseth the hearing of the word preached by him that is sent and the ministerie of the Sacraments as ordinary meanes and instruments which ordinarie meanes are onely then effectuall when as the holy Spirit concurs inwardly in our hearts with the word striking outwardly in our eares and with the Sacrament outwardly receiued And except the holy Spirit grant his concurrence to the word and Sacrament word and Sacrament both will not worke faith So all dependeth vpon the working of this holy Spirit the whole regeneration of mankind the renewing of the heart and of the conscience depend on the power of the holy Spirit and therefore it behooueth vs carefully to imploy our selues in calling vpon God for his holy Spirit By the same meanes and no other that the holy Spirit begetteth faith in vs by the same meanes he nourisheth and augmenteth that which he hath begotten And therefore as we got faith by the hearing of the word so by continuall and diligent hearing we haue this faith augmented and nourished in vs. And from hence I tooke my exhortation that if ye would haue that spirituall life nourished in you and if ye would haue a further assurance of heauen of necessitie ye must both continually diligently heare the blessed word of God Now it resteth that euery one of you carefully apply this doctrine to your owne soules and enter into the triall of your owne consciences to see if this faith as I spake be begun in your hearts and minds or not how farre or how little the holy Spirit hath proceeded in that worke trie with me and I with you The first effect of the holy Spirit whereby ye may trie your minds whether ye be in the faith or not is this Reuolue in your memories and remember if at any time it pleased the Lord in his mercie to turne the darknes of your minds into light to cause that naturall darknesse which was within you to depart through the which darknes neither had ye an eye to see your selues what you were by nature nor yet had ye an eye to see God in Christ nor any part of his mercie Examine I say whether this darknesse of the naturall vnderstanding be turned into light by the working of the Spirit or not If thou art become a child of the light a child of the day if thou art become as the Apostle speaketh light in the Lord if there be this alteration made in thy mind that whereas naturally before it was closed vp in daâ—kenesse whereas it was filled with vanities and errors wheras it was closed vp in blindnes If the Lord hath at any time inlightened the eye of thy mind and made thee to see thine owne misery to see the vglines of thine owne nature to see
not in our hearts nor breedes not in our nature No this gifâ— of faith is not at mans command nor vnder his arbitrement as if it were in his power to belieue or not to beleeue as he pleaseth It is the gift of God poured downe freelie of his vndeserued grace in the riches of his mercie in Christ. That it is a gift ye see clearelie 1. Cor. 12.9 where the Apostle saith And to another is giuen faith by the same Spirit As also Philip. 1.29 For vnto you it is giuen for Christ that not onely ye should belieue in him but also suffer for his sake So faith is the gift of the holy Spirit and this gift is not giuen to all men and women as the Apostle plainlie declareth All haue not faith This gift though it be giuen it is not giuen to all but is onely giuen to the Elect that is to so many as the Lord hath appointed to life euerlasting This gift where-euer it is and in what heart soeuer it be it is neuer idle but perpetually working and working well by loue and charitie as the Apostle affirmeth Gala. 5.6 This gift where-euer it is is not dead but quicke and liuely as the Apostle Iames testifieth in his second Chapter And to let you know whether it be liuely and working or not there is no better meanes then to looke vnto the fruites and effects that flow from it And therefore that ye by your owne effects may be the more assured of the goodnesse of your faith I will giue you three speciall effects to obserue by the which ye may iudge of the goodnesse of your faith First looke to thy heart and cast thine eye on it If thou hast a desire to pray a desire to craue mercy for thy sinnes to call vpon Gods holy Name for mercy and grace if there be such a thing in thy heart as a desire to pray if thy heart be inclined and hath a thirst to seeke after mercie and grace though the greatest part of thine heart repine and would drawe thee from prayer yet assuredly that desire that thou hast in any measure to prayer is the true effect of the right faith If thou haue a heart to pray to God though this desire be but slender assure thy selfe thy soule hath life for prayer is the life of the soule and maketh thy faith liuely And why Prayer is Gods owne gift it is no gift of ours for if it were ours it would be euill but it is the best gift that euer God gaue man and so it must be the gift of his owne holy Spirit and being his owne gift it must make our faith liuely Without this thou art not able nor thou darest not call vpon him in whom thou beleeuest not as the Apostle saith Rom. 10.14 For if I intreate him by prayer I must trust in him Then prayer is a certaine argument of iustifying faith and beliefe in God for I cannot speake to him much lesse pray to him in whom I trust not And though the heart be not fully resolued and well disposed yet if there be any part of the heart that inclineth to prayer it is a sure gage that that part belieueth The second effect whereby thou shalt know whether faith be in thee or no is this Obserue and aduise with thy selfe if thy heart can be content to renounce thy rancour to forgiue thy grudges and that freely for Gods cause Canst thou do this And wilt thou forgiue thy neighbour as freely as God hath forgiuen thee Assuredly this is an effect of the right Spirit for nature could neuer giue yt. There is nothing whereunto nature bendeth it selfe more then to rancour and enuy and there is nothing wherein nature placeth her honour more greedily then in priuy reuenge Now if thy heart be so tamed and brought downe that it will willingly forgiue the iniurie for Gods cause this is the effect of the right Spirit This is not my saying it is the saying of Christ himselfe in the Euangelist Math. 6.14 where he thus speaketh If ye do forgiue men their trespasses your heauenly Father will also forgiue you And in the fifteenth verse But if ye doe not forgiue men their trespasses no more will your heauenly Father forgiue you your trespasses So that Christ saith He that forgiueth wrongs shall haue wrongs forgiuen him but he that will reuenge his wrongs wrong shall be reuenged vpon him Therefore as thou wouldest be spared of thy wrongs done vnto the mightie God spare thou thy neighbour I will not insist examine whether ye haue faith or not examine it by prayer examine it by the discharge of your owne priuie grugdes for if ye want these effects a heart full of rancour a heart voide of prayer is a heart faithlesse and meete for hell The third effect of faith is compassion Thou must bow thy heart and extend thy pity vnto the poore members of Christ his body and suffer them not to want if thou haue for except ye haue this compassion ye haue no faith Examine your selues by these three effects and if ye find these in any measure though neuer so small you haue the right faith in your hearts the faith that ye haue is true and liuely and assuredly God will be mercifull vnto you This faith of ours though it be liuely yet it is not perfect in this world but euery day and euery houre it needeth a continuall augmentation it craueth euer to be nourished for the which increase the Apostles themselues Luke 17.5 said Lord increase our faith And Christ himselfe commandeth vs to pray and say Lord increase our faith I belieue Lord helpe my vnbeliefe Then by Christ his owne command we plainely see that this faith needeth continually to be nourished helped and it cannot be helped but by prayer therefore should we alwayes continue in prayer That this faith should be helped and that we should be perpetually vpon our guard in feare and trembling to get it augmented the terrible doubtings the wonderfull pits of desperation into the which the dearest seruants of God are cast do dailie teath For the best seruants of God are exercised with terrible doubtings in their soules with wonderfull stammerings and they shall be brought at some times as appeares in their owne iudgement to the very brinke of desperation These doubtings and stammerings let vs see that this faith of ours would be perpetually nourished and that we haue need continually to pray for the increase of it It pleaseth the Lord at sometimes to let his seruants haue a sight of themselues to cast them downe and to let them see how vgly sinne is It pleaseth him to let them fall into the bitternesse of sinne and to what end Not that he will deuoure them and suffer them to be swallowed vp of destruction Though Hezekiah cryeth out That like an hungry Lyon the Lord is like to deuoure him and bruise him in peeces yet the Lord suffers him not to
He changeth the affections and inclinations of my soule he changeth the faculties and qualities of my soule And though our hearts and minds be made new yet the substance of them is not changed but onely the faculties and qualities are changed in respect of the which change we are called new creatures and except you be found new creatures ye are not in Christ. Now to come to the point This secret coniunction is brought to passe by faith and by the holy Spirit by faith we lay hold on the bodie and bloud of Christ And though we be as farre distant as heauen and earth are the Spirit serueth vs as a ladder to conioyne vs with Christ As the ladder of Iacob which reached from the ground to the heauen to the selfe same vse serueth the Spirit of God to conioyne the bodie of Christ with my soule Then obserue the whole in a word What maketh you to haue any right or title to Christ Nothing but the Spirit nothing but faith What should be your studie then Seeke by all meanes possible to get faith that as Peter Acts 15.9 saith your hearts and consciences may be sanctified by faith And if you endeuour not as well to get faith in your hearts as in your minds your faith auaileth not What auaileth the faith that fleeteth in the fantasie and bringeth a naked knowledge without the opening of the heart and consent of the will So there must be an opening of thy heart and consent of thy will to do that thing that God commandeth or else thy faith auaileth not Then striue to get faith in your hearts and minds and doing so ye do the duties of Christians This is not done without the diligent hearing of the word and diligent receiuing of the Sacrament Then be diligent in these exercises and be diligent in prayer Praying in the holy Ghost that he would nourish your soules inwardly with the bodie and bloud of Christ That he would increase faith in your hearts and minds and make it to grow vp more and more daily vntill you come to the full fruition of that blessed immortalitie Vnto the which the Lord of his mercie bring vs and that for the righteous merits of Christ Iesus To whom with the Father and the holy Ghost be all honour praise and glorie both now and euer Amen THE FIFTH SERMON VPON THE LORDS SVPPER 1. COR. 11.23 For I haue receiued of the Lord that which I also haue deliuered vnto you to wit that the Lord Iesus in the night that he was betrayed tooke Bread c. WE haue heard wel-beloued in Christ Iesus in our last exercise what names were giuen to the Sacrament of the Lords Supper as well in the Scriptures as by the Ancients of the Latine and East Churches we heard the chiefe ends wherefore and whereunto this holy Sacrament was at first instituted we heard the things that were contained in this Sacrament what they were how they are coupled how they are deliuered and how they are receiued we heard also some obiections that might be obiected to the contrarie of this doctrine we heard them propounded and as God gaue the grace refuted we heard how the faithfull soule is said to eate Christs body and drinke Christs bloud We heard the manner how Christ is or can be receiued of vs. And we concluded in this poynt That Christ Iesus the Sauiour of mankinde our Sauiour cannot be perceiued nor yet receiued but by a spirituall way and apprehension Neither the flesh of Christ nor the bloud of Christ nor Christ himselfe can be perceiued but by the eye of faith can be receiued but by the mouth of faith nor can be layd hold on but by the hand of faith Now faith is a spirituall thing for faith is the gift of God powred downe into the hearts and minds of men and women wrought in the soule of euery one and that by the mighty working and operation of the holy Spirit So the onely way to lay hold on Christ being by faith and faith of it owne nature being spirituall it followeth therefore that there is no way to lay hold on Christ but a spirituall way there is not a hand to fasten on Christ but a spirituall hand there is not a mouth to digest Christ but a spirituall mouth The Scriptures familiarly by all these termes describe the nature and efficacy of faith We are said to eate the flesh of Christ by faith and to drinke his bloud by faith in this Sacrament chiefly in doing of two things First in calling to our remembrance the bitter death and passion of Christ the bloud that he shed vpon the crosse the Supper which he instituted in remembrance of him before he went to the Crosse the commandement which he gaue Do this in remembrance of me I say we eate his flesh and drinke his bloud spiritually First in this point in recording and remembring faithfully how he died for vs how his bloud was shed vpon the crosse This is the first point a point that cannot be remembred truly except it be wrought by the mighty power of the holy Spirit The second poynt of the spirituall eating standeth in this That I and euery one of you beleeue firmely that he died for me in particular That his bloud was shed on the crosse for a ful remission and redemption of me and my sins The chiefe and principall point of the eating of Christ his flesh drinking of his bloud standeth in beleeuing firmly that that flesh was deliuered to death for my sinnes that that bloud of his was shed for the remission of my sinnes and except euery soule come neere to himselfe and firmely consent and agree and be perswaded that Christ died for him that soule can not be saued that soule can not eate the flesh nor drinke the bloud of Christ. Then the eating of the flesh and drinking of the bloud of Christ standeth in a faithfull memorie in a firme belief and in a true applying of the merits of the death and passion of Christ to my owne conscience in particular There were sundry things obiected against this kind of receiuing I will not insist to repeate them But beside all the obiections which ye heard obiected against this kinde of spirituall receiuing by faith they say If Christ his flesh nor his bloud be not perceiued nor receiued but by the Spirit by faith in the Spirit then say they ye receiue him but by an imagination if he be not receiued carnally nor corporally but onely by the Spirit and by faith then is he not receiued but by way of imagination conceite and fantasie So they account faith an imagination of the minde a fantasie and opinion fleeting in the hearts of men I cannot blame them to thinke so of faith For as none can iudge of the sweetenesse of hony but they that haue tasted of it so there is none can discerne nor iudge of the nature of faith but they that haue felt it
is onely true peace and quietnesse to be found Therefore our exercise should chiefly stand in this to expell this enemy and monster sinne and to possesse that sauing iuice and wholsome peace that passeth all vnderstanding The second effect whereby we may know that the soule liueth is the ioy and reioycing vnder trouble For we know by experience that trouble of it owne nature cannot bring forth this ioy but bringeth forth the contrary effects as sadnesse heauinesse and sorrow Now where the Spirit is so disposed that we reioyce vnder trouble this is a sure argument of the blessed Spirit the Spirit of life which onely quickneth the soule and this ioy maketh vs not onely to reioyce in trouble but to glory also as sayth the Apostle For surely the crosse of Christ is our onely ioy the shame of Christ is our onely honour Hereby we perceiue the great glory that the Lord hath called vs to that not onely he maketh vs to beleeue his word but to suffer for him also onely ye haue to take heede to your troubles For this ioy accompanieth not all troubles but onely those troubles that are suffred for Christs cause for righteousnesse sake are vnderserued For those troubles that are deserued the like ioy is not to be found in them The third effect whereby we may know that the soule liueth is the loue of God and hatred of euill Where this loue is kindled in the soule where we beginne to know God to loue him and to taste of him for it is not possible that we can loue him except we haue a taste of his sweetnesse this loue make vs like to God for God is loue as Iohn saith If loue dwell in thine heart God dwelleth in thine heart and this loue is a sure pledge of the life of the soule where this loue is of necessity also there must be a hatred of euill Now trie and examine if the Spirit of life hath wrought these effects in thy soule in any measure if it were neuer so small it is a sure argument that this life is begunne and the life which God hath begunne he will perfect it If the loue of God were neuer so litle and the hatred of euill were neuer so little if any of these effects were but in a small measure ye may be sure that Christ dwelleth in your hearts by faith and that the soule liueth Ye that feele this as I would that ye all felt it prease to nourish and strengthen this life not weary in well doing but go forward in working the works of the Spirit Sow not in the flesh go not forward in the lusts and appetites thereof for ye may learne of the Apostle what aduantage this labour bringeth to wit shame and confusion death of the body and death of soule Rom. 6. But on the contrary go forward in nourishing of the Spirit and in well doing Sow in the Spirit and as the Apostle sayth ye shall reape an euerlasting and incomprehensible life This Spirit then is said to be nourished and corroborate in our hearts when we nourish the light and knowledge of God in Christ Iesus when we edifie our selues in our most holy faith and continue in the exercise of prayer As by the contrary we banish this light of the good Spirit and by our euill doing we banish the knowledge of God in Christ whē we put out this light diminish our perswasion and leaue off the exercise of prayer For by the same meanes whereby the soule liueth they being remoued the soule dieth Therfore those that would liue this way they ought to nourish the knowledge of God they ought to be exercised in well doing in hearing of Gods word in edifying them in their most holy faith and in continuall crauing of grace and mercy by prayer Now the King sayth he hath this life and he hath experience of the good word in this for I take this to be a different life from the other whereof he spake before to wit this is the life of the soule which proceedeth of the word of promise for this word is the power of God to saluation to all them that beleeue Rom. 1. Set your hearts saith Moses Deut. 32 vpon this word for it is not a vaine word it is your life and felicity The words which I speake sayth our Master Iohn 6. are Spirit life And from this Iohn calleth him the word of life the bread of life Peter saith whom shall we go to for in thee are the words of life It is he that hath life in himselfe Iohn 5. From this also it is said 1. Cor. 15. that as the first Adam was made a liuing soule so the second Adam was made a quickning Spirit and by reason we are made participant of this spirit by the ministery of his word therefore it is called the word of the Spirit by the same reason we that are his Ministers are counted the Ministers of the Spirit as the Apostle calleth vs 2. Cor. 3. They that would reade further of the praise of this word I remit them to the 19. Psalme where the properties of this word are exactly set downe I will end here Who so looketh vpon the precious effects of this word and on the other side looketh vpon our vnhappy behauior I am assured it would astonish any Christian heart to behold how the Lord can suffer our contempt so long as he doth For formerly whereas there was skarsly crummes of this bread of life to be had in this countrie men sought it out diligently and ran to haue it with such zeale that they compassed both sea and land they spared neither trauell nor cost but forcibly as it were thronged and thrusted in and made irruption in this kingdome But now when it hath pleased the Lord to offer vnto vs great plentie of this foode we so despise the bountie and liberality of this good God that we turne this great grace and mercie of his into iudgement and vengeance vpon our owne heads And as to the greatest part of the multitude they disdain it so spitefully that they had rather embrace the leauen of the Pharisies and draw them to that company where they can haue no other foode but songes maskes mummings and vnknowne Languages And so thinke to feed their soules by the mockery of God Now as to the Gentlemen Earles Lords and Barrons they are so drunken with sacrilegde that ere they will part with these goods they had rather part with the life of their soule yea when it cometh to this that the word cannot be entertained but by their expences they make no choyse but had rather lose their soules an hundred times ere they would bestow a halfepenny vpon the Church This is true in the greatest part so it is the Lord that wonderfully continueth the light amongst vs that keepeth a face of a ministery in Scotland There is no good entertainment but a very great pouerty in the most part
ye will find it the more worthie of praise I am sorie in my heart that our disposition is so euill that we cannot praise him as we would yet howsoeuer it be that we can do it as we would let vs do it as we may according to that measure of grace that is granted to euerie one of vs. And for this default that is in vs let euery one of vs desire pardon following me after this manner Lord be mercifull to our vnprepared hearts Lord behold vs in the righteous merits of thy Sonne and suffer not this euill disposition of ours to be a hinderance to the second deliuerie if peraduenture that Balaak with his Priest Balaam make the second assault But Lord in thy mercies sanctifie our hearts more and more to all thy holy vses that thy mercifull protection may couer vs and being inuironed therewith we shall not be found naked let the furie and rage of the enemie assaile when he pleaseth Let vs I say after this manner be thankfull to God And surely the thankfull memory of this benefit shall be the readie way to purchase the second deliuerie in case as I haue said the enemies of God being possessed with that restlesse spirit of the Diuell make the second assault Thus farre concerning the first benefit The second benefit whereby he sheweth himselfe gracious to his people followeth in the second verse to wit He made his residence with them he dwelt at Shalem as his Tabernacle placed in Sion doth testifie He dwelt at Ierusalem which at that time was called Shalem where his Tabernacle was placed This dwelling of God with his Church is the second benefit wherein he sheweth himselfe gracious to her For suppose it be true that the maiestie of our God replenisheth heauen and earth and is euery where yet it is as true that this God of ours dwelleth not euery where for he dwelleth onely in his Church and among his faithfull For the Lord is farre off continually from the hearts of the wicked as the Apostle saith Therefore the Lord had made as yet his residence and dwelling to be in Sion He dwelt in the hearts and consciences of his owne people of old he gaue them ensignes of his visible presence as was the Tabernacle the Arke as types and ceremonies which were seates of his oracles and gaue many miracles and wonders for the confirming of his presence Now it hath pleased the Lord to translate his Tabernacle from the Iewes to vs and to set downe the ensignes of his presence among vs such as the preaching of his word as ye heare it this day the ministring of his Sacraments as ye see this day and the exercise of discipline as we haue at this time These are the visible ensignes of his presence whereby your senses are informed that the inuisible God dwelleth here he maketh his residence properly in the hearts of faithfull men and women And the Lord dwelleth in his Saints two manner of waies to wit by faith and by his holy Spirit It is by the benefit of faith the Spirit of God that we become the Church of God Temples of his holy Spirit Citizens with the Saints and domesticks of heauen For by this faith our hearts as Peter speaketh Act. 15. are purified whereby Christ Iesus may haue residence in them and as Ephes. 3.17 whereby Christ may dwell in vs. By the same faith againe we are builded on the doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles that we may be an habitation to God by his holy Spirit as in the last verse Ephes 2. Then I say if the Lord dwelleth in his Saints by these two manner of waies by faith and by his holy Spirit he dwelleth not substantially in his Saints but he dwelleth so onely in his owne Sonne For the fulnesse of the Godhead dwelleth in him corporally By faith and his holy Spirit therefore he maketh his residence with you by the ministerie of his word and Sacraments he testifieth his presence here And surely moe and greater promises Ierusalem had neuer then this Church of ours hath moe notable testimonies of his presence and mightie deliuerances Iudah had neuer then we haue And God dwelt neuer in no nation of the earth at least since the Gospell began so long in such sinceritie and puritie without error or heresie as he hath done with vs. So that if there be any nation vnder the Sunne bound to praise God we are chiefly bound and of all nations we must be most vngrate if his name be not great among vs. But when I looke to the horrible ingratitude answering to this obligation I cannot promise a continuance of this light and presence For will ye looke vnto our answering in our liues the great men in this countrey are become companions to the eues and Pirates oppressors and manifest blasphemers of God and man Ye see murther oppression and bloodshed is the onely thing that they shoote and marke at As to the simple sort of people the prophane multitude they are altogether godlesse there is not such a thing in them as a naturall light whereby they may see God in his works much lesse the supernaturall As to the greatest part of our Priests our Ministers their mouthes haue lost the truth and their persons haue lost their reuerence the Lord hath made them contemptible in the eyes of men And by reason they haue forgot to giue him his due reuerence he hath taken their reuerence out of the hearts of men Well the Lord will not wearie and trouble himselfe perpetually as he hath done these many yeares past in offering pearles to filthie swine to curres and to dogs It is not possible that he should wearie himselfe still but at the last seeing there is no estate of life that testifieth any true loue to his truth therefore it is as ye see the most part of this countrey is giuen ouer alreadie to a strange delusion because they would not receiue his Sonne when he was offered therefore the Lord hath giuen them ouer to a strange delusion And to what I pray you Euen to prefer the leauen of the Pharisies and dregs of Papistrie to the wholsome and blessed word of truth And shal this be the end of these plagues No but in respect of the contempt of the truth their bodies shall be plagued also in the sight of you all whosoeuer they be that haue made foule defection from that blessed truth And vpon this we haue also a petition in the second place to craue of God as in the first place to craue that the Lord of his great mercie in time would preuent this vtter extermination which this great confusion both in Church and policie so terribly threatneth and portendeth For it is not possible that things can euer stand still in this estate but of necessitie either the Magistrate and in speciall the supreame Magistrate must put to his hand and make an end of this confusion or else this
THE WAY TO TRVE PEACE AND REST. DELIVERED AT EDINBOROVGH In XVI Sermons on the Lords Supper Hezechiahs Sicknesse and other select Scriptures By that reuerend faithfull Preacher of Gods word Mr. ROBERT BRVCE for the present Minister of the Word in Scotland Dulcia non meruit qui non gustauit amara IOHN 10.27.28 My sheepe heare my voyce and I know them they follow me And I giue vnto them eternall life and they shall neuer perish neither shall any man plucke them out of my hand LONDON Printed by R. Field for Thomas Man and Ionas Man dwelling in Pater-noster row at the signe of the Talbot 1617. TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVL MAISTER ADRIAN MOORE Esquire c. And to the no lesse religious and vertuous Gentlewoman Mistresse MARIE MOORE his Wife Patrones of Piety all peace and happiness in both Worlds RIght Worshipfull It must not seeme strange vnto you that a new occasion hath made also a new change of stile since occasion daily sheweth so many changes in the world Amongst all which alterations I must beg of you still to continue your countenance vnto these few plaine homely Sermons In token that no change I hope so long as I liue shall keepe me from manifesting vnto the world as all occasions shall serue how much in dutie I am bound to your true vnfeined loue and vndeserued fauours to me the vnworthiest of all For which I can but wish you to be euer attended with those two faithfull companions of the Saints peace of conscience and ioy in the holie Ghost and at the last to haue a speedie hearing when your Spirits shall faile to transport them into Abrahams bosome there to enioy eternall and vnspeakeable rest for euer and euer Yours in all dutie much and euer bound I. H. TO THE READER GEntle Reader The Author of these Sermons not being present at their going to the presse againe to reuiew and correct them I doubted whether in these learned and curious dayes such homely lines as these might not be distastfull amongst such multitudes of learned ones euery where swarming in the presse so much the rather since their Author hath euer thought so meanly of himselfe that no worke of his could be worthie of the presse Notwithstanding since the importunitie of many did long since as it were wring and extort these few Sermons from him in the beginning of his ministerie before things could be so well ripely and methodically digested as possibly he could haue wished if now they were to do I haue made bold also once againe to send them vnto thy view chiefly to the hungrie Because as Salomon speaketh he who is full despiseth an honie combe but to the afflicted soule euery soure thing is sweete The first fiue on the Lords Supper were englished by a late Gentleman of worthie memorie M. S. Mitchell who was gathered to his fathers before he could see them at the presse the rest were perused and englished by another friend All the care and paines taken hath bene for Gods glorie and thy good If it please thee now therefore to vse Philips counsell to Nathaniel and see whether any good things come out of Nazareth it may be thou shalt not thinke thy paines and time lost which that thou mayest the sooner do I ceasse to trouble thee remaining Thine in the Lord Iesus I. H. The Contents and substance of the Sermons following SERMON I. Out of 1. Cor. 11.28 Intreating of preparation to the Lords Supper Sheweth that a man must make this triall in his conscience The Definition of conscience the causes why conscience was by God left in vs The way how to keepe a good conscience In what things we must chiefly examine our consciences how to trie our peace with God and loue with our neighbours of mans first miserie and recouerie and so how faith is wrought in the heart how it is nourished in vs. SERM. II. Out of 1. Cor. 11.28 Intreating of Preparation to the Lords Supper Sheweth how a sincere faith is knowne that he who for Christ can renounce himselfe cannot be disappointed of his expectation That faith is the free gift of God Certaine effects whereby we may know if we haue faith That because it is ioyned with doubting it must be nourished That faith and doubting may lodge in one soule That a faith mingled and maistered with much doubting is yet a true faith That faith smothered yet is not extinguished A sure rest in the most dangerous tentations The definition of loue what our loue vnto God and our neighbour is SERM. III. Out of 1. Cor. 11.23 Intreating of the Sacraments in generall Sheweth the definition and diuerse acceptions of the word Sacrament what the signes in the Sacrament are why they are called signes what the thing signified in the Sacrament is The necessitie of the application thereof How the signe and the thing signified are ioyned together The Illustration of this Coniunction what considerations are needefull when the Signe and the thing signified are giuen and receiued The other part of a Sacrament which is the word To what vses the Sacrament serueth vs more then the word Faults which peruert the Sacrament c. SERM. IIII. Out of 1. Cor. 11.23 Intreating of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper Sheweth the diuerse Names both in the Scriptures and by the Ancients giuen vnto this Sacrament of the Lords Supper The ends why this Sacrament was instituted The things both outward and inward contained in this Sacrament That the things signified in both Sacraments are one but the signes are not one why in Baptisme there is but one signe and in the Lords Supper two What power and perpetuity the bread hath to be a signe How the Signes the thing signified are conioyned in the Sacrament How the Signe and the thing signified is receiued What inconueniences are cast in by the Papists against this spirituall receiuing of Christ in the Sacrament How the soule is said to eate the body and drink the blood of Christ. Faith is that which coupleth vs to Christ. A similitude explaining the same SERM. V. Out of the 1. Cor. 11.23 Intreating of the Sacrament of the Lord Supper Sheweth our vnion with Christ by vertue of communion of the same Spirit The definition of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper Why this Sacrament is called a seale Why a holy seale Why the seale is said to be annexed to the Couenant Why the Sacrament should be administred publikely Why this seale must be ministred according to Christs institution That the word and element must concurre in the institution of a Sacrament What we meane by the word in a Sacrament what the Papists vnderstand by the word in this action and our differences from them How the outward Elements are sanctified How the Papists sanctifie these Elements The refutatiō of Transubstantiatiō by diuerse arguments The reasons why the Papists cannot thinke Christs body present in the Sacrament vnlesse it be really and substantially present The
Image which we lost nor to leaue vs in this earth but it pleased him to giue vs a better Image and beside that to place vs in heauen there to remaine with him for euer Now resteth his mercie and grace here No But that this saluation which he hath alreadie purchased brought about by his Sonne our Sauiour Christ Iesus might be wholly accomplished hauing nothing wanting in it as he redeemed vs in his owne person perfectly so he makes this same redemption to come to our knowledge makes vs sure of it in our consciences and to this end what doth he As by his death he purchased our full redemption so he makes it knowne vnto vs he intimates it vnto vs by our inward calling letting vs both finde and feele in our heaâ—ts what he did in his body for vs. For our Lord when he makes his seruants to proclaime this redemption and to intimate it to our consciences he workes this Iewell of faith in our soules which assures vs that the Son of God hath died for vs. For what could it auaile vs to see our redemption to see our saluation and our life a farre off if a way were not found out and a hand and meanes giuen vnto vs whereby we may apprehend that saluation applie it to our selues What can it auaile a sicke man to see a drugge in an Apothecaries shop except he may haue it and apply it to his sicke bodie So to the end that this worke of our redemption and saluation may be fullie and freelie accomplished looke how freelie he hath giuen his onely Sonne to the death of the crosse for vs as freelie hath he found out this way and meanes and offered vs this hand whereby we may take hold on Christ apply him to our soules This meanes to conclude is faith There is not a way nor an instrument in the Scriptures of God whereby we can applie Christ to our soules but onelie the instrument of faith therefore faith cannot be enough commended Turne to faith and it will make thee turne to God and so conioyne thee with God and make all thine actions well pleasing vnto him There is no good action that we do though it seeme neuer so good before the world but it is abhomination before God if it be not done in faith and will further our condemnation hauing faith all the creatures of God are seruiceable vnto vs they must all conspire to the furtherance of the worke of our saluation As on the contrarie wanting faith there is none of the creatures of God but shall be enemies vnto vs and conspire to our damnation For faith conioynes vs with the God of heauen and makes vs heauenly This Iewell of faith seasons all the gifts and graces which God giueth vnto vs all the riches of the earth is of no value to my soule without faith And what auaileth it any man to haue all the knowledge and wisedome in the earth without faith For the diuell hath all this knowledge and is not the better What auaileth it me to conquer all the Monarches kingdomes and whole riches in the earth what can all these auaile my soule Nothing but accuse me if I want faith Therefore all the benefits and gifts of God without faith auaile nothing but to augment our miseâ—ie All the gifts and graces of God are abused without faith faith onely maketh thee to vse the benefits and graces of God rightly Faith only should be sought kept and entertained here in this life hauing faith all the rest of Gods graces are profitable vnto thee for this Iewell keepeth them all in order and maketh them all fruitfull whereas wanting this iewell there is nothing here on earth but it will testifie against thee Let vs then speake of this faith how it is wrought in you I take my ground out of the Euangelist Iohn 6.44 where our Sauiour saith No man can come to â—e except the Father which hath sent me draw him In the which words we see clearly that except we be drawne except we be compelled except we be thrust except of vnwilling we be made willing by God the father it is not possible for vs to come to his Sonne What is the reason of this that the Spirit of God must draw vs and make vs willing or euer we come to God Because by nature we are not onely wounded and lanced by sinne and iniquitie but as the Apostle sheweth Ephes. 2.1 We were wholly dead in trespasses and sinnes yea obseâ—ue how voide any dead bodie is of a naturall life so voide are our soules though they be liuing the naturall life so voide are they of the life of God of that heauenly and spirituall life whereunto we in this life do aspire vntill such time that the Spirit of God draw our hearts and minds that is quicken our hearts and minds No it is not a drawing as we commonly speake it is a very quickning of a dead thing It is a quickning of that thing which was void of the life of the Spirit Then except the Spirit of God draw vs that is quicken vs with that spirituall and heauenly life it is not possible for vs to come to heauen And except he nourish this life which he hath begun it is not possible that we can stand in this life So the Spirit of God is said to draw vs that is to begin this life in vs and by the same holy Spirit to continue and nourish this life in vs. Now by the drawing of the Spirit our soules are quickned and by the drawing of the Spirit I vnderstand no other thing but the framing and creating of faith in our soules which makes vs new creatures Now let vs see what order the Spirit of God keepeth in drawing vs and informing and creating this faith in our soules First of all I deuide the soule into no more parts then commonly it vseth to be deuided that is into the heart and the mind Our mind then being â— cloud of darknesse altogether blind naturally there being nothing in that mind of ours but vanitie error and ignorance whereby we vanish away can neuer long continue in any good resolution or purpose what doth the Spirit of God The first worke that euer the Spirit of God doth he taketh order with the mind and what doth he to the mind He banisheth darknesse he chaseth out vanitie and blindnesse that naturally lurketh in the mind and in stead of this darknesse he placeth in the mind a lâ—ght a celestial and heauenly light a light which is resident in Christ Iesus onely Then the Spirit chaseth out that cloud of mist and darknesse and placeth light in the mind And what worketh he by this light We getting sanctified vnderstanding incontinent he makes vs to see God not onely as he is God the Creator of the world but also as he is God the Redeemer and hath redeemed vs in his Sonne Christ Iesus Now before I obtaine this light
to God in these words Cast me not away from thy presence And what addeth he And take not thy holy Spirit from me Had he not lost the Spirit by his adultery and murther No for he would not haue said then Take it not from me but Restore it to me It is true that he vseth the like in the verse following Râ—store me to the ioy of thy saluation Not that he wanted the Spirit wholly but that the Spirit lacked force in him and needed strengthening and fortification it would be stirred vp that the flame of it might appeare Therefore I say in that Dauid speaketh so plainly after his adulterie and murther Take not thy Spirit from me it is a certaine argument that the faithfull haue neuer the Spirit of God alwaies taken from them in their greatest dissolutions The second point is this How proue I that these sparkles are not idle though the outward effects be interrupted As Dauid felt this in his conscience so euery one of you may feele it in your owne consciences The Spirit of God in mans heart cannot be idle but these sparkles during the time that the bodie is let loose to all dissolutions these sparkles are accusing thy dissolution are finding fault with thy manners these sparkles suffer thee not to take the pleasure of thy bodie without great bitternesse and continuall remorse And these sparkles where they are will make the soule wherein they dwell to vtter these speeches at one time or other once in the twenty-foure houres Alas I am doing the euill which I would not do if I had power or strength to resist my affection if I might be master of my affections I would not for all the world do the euill which I do Againe if I had power to do the good which I would do I would not leaue it vndone for all the world So these sparkles though they haue not such force and strength presently as to resist the affection abstaine from doing euill deeds yet perpetually in the heart they are finding fault with thy corruption and suffer thee not to take thy pleasure without paine but last of all force thee to vtter these speeches If I had strength to resist I would not do the euill which I do Where these speeches are no question they are the words of a soule which the Lord hath begun to sanctifie and being once sanctified in despite of the diuell and of the corruption that is in vs this faith shall neuer perish but if the whole soule without contradiction with a greedy appetite and pleasure be carried to euill and hath no sorrow for it that soule is in an ill estate I can looke for nothing in such a soule but death except the Lord of his great mercie preuent it But where this remorse and sorrow and such speeches are in the soule that soule in the time that God hath appointed shall recouer strength The Lord shall neuer suffer those sparkes to be wholly taken away but in his owne time he shall fortifie them and make them to breake out before the world in good works The Lord in his owne time will sanctifie them he will scatter the ashes of corruption stirre vp the sparkles and make them to breake out into a better life then euer they did before as ye may cleerely see that Dauids repentance hath done more good to the God then if he had neuer fallen Thus farre concerning the effects Though the effects of repentance be interrupted yet those sparkles are not extinguished For there is no man will thinke that the fire which is couered with ashes is extinguished but being stirred vp in the morning it will burne as cleerely as it did the night before There is no man will think the trees that now in the time of Winter want leaues fruite and externall beauty to be dead There is no man will thinke the Sunne to be out of the firmament though it be ouershadowed with a clowde of darkenesse and mist. There is great difference betweene a sleeping disease and death for men are not dead though they be sleeping and yet there is nothing liker vnto death then sleepe As there is great difference betwixt a drunken man and a dead man so there is great oddes betwixt the faith that lieth hid for a while and vttereth not it selfe and the light that is vtterly put out When we breake not forth into outward deedes God forbid that we should thinke that these sparkles are whollie extinguished Indeede the soule which is visited after foule and haynous backslidings from his calling and against his knowledge before this soule recouer the former beauty it is in a strange danger For if the Lord suffer thy corruption to get loose in such sort that it carry thee as it will and by all meanes possible maketh thee to labour to put out the sparkles of regeneration when the Lord beginnes to challenge thee or to make thee reÌ„der an account of this life past the soule of that man when it is challenged is in great danger So that no question when the Lord beginnes to lay to your charge your dissolute life the contempt and abuse of your calling assuredly your soules are so neere to the bâ—inke of desperation that there can be nothing neerer For wilt thou looke to God Thou wilt see nothing but his anger kindled as a fire against thee Wilt thou looke to thy selfe Thou wilt see nothing but sin prouoking his anger thou wilt see the contempt and abuse of thy calling enlarging his anger thou wilt see nothing but matter of despaire And what is the best pillar and surest retreat whereupon such a soule that is so neere to the brinke of desperation may repose I will shew you the helpe whereupon When thou art assaulted by all the greatest tentations thou canst imagine when there is nothing before thee but death when thou seest the diuell accusing thee thine owne conscience bearing him witnes against thee thy life accusing thee and the abuse of thy calling accusing thee whither shalt thou go Looke backe againe to thy forepast experience cast ouer thy memorie and remember if God at any time and in any measure hath loued thee if euer thou hast felt the loue and fauour of God in thy heart and conscience Remember if euer the Lord hath so disposed thy heart that as he loued thee thou louedst him and hadst a desire to obtaine him Remember if euer the Lord hath so disposed thy heart that as he loued thee thou louedst him hadst a desire to obtaine him Remember this and repose thine assurance on this that as he loued thee once he will loue thee euer and will assuredly restore thee to that loue before thou departest this life The heart that felt once this loue of God shall feele it againe and looke what gift or grace or what taste of the power of the world to come that euer the Lord gaue to his creatures in this life to
The reason wherefore I call them signes is this I call them not signes by that reason that men commonly call them signes because they signifie onely as the Brâ—â—d signifies the bodie of Christ the Wine signifies the bloud of Christ I call them not signes because they represent onely but I call them signes because they haue the body bloud of Christ conioyned with them Yea so truly is the bodie of Christ conioyned with that Bread and the bloud of Christ conioyned with that Wine that as soone as thou receiuest that Bread in thy mouth if thou be a faithfull man or woman so soone receiuest thou the bodie of Christ in thy soule and that by faith and as soone as thou receiuest that Wine in thy mouth so soone thou receiuest the bloud of Christ in thy soule and that by faith In respect of this exhibition chiefely that they are instruments to deliuer and exhibite the things that they signifie and not in respect onely of their representation are they called signes For if they did nothing but represent or signifie a thing absent then any picture or dead Image should be a Sacrament for there is no picture as the picture of the King but at the sight of the picture the King will come in your minde and it will signifie vnto you that that is the Kings picture So if the signe of the Sacrament did no further all pictures should be Sacraments but in respect that the Sacrament exhibites and deliuers the thing that it signifieth to the soule and heart so soone as the signe is deliuered to the mouth for this cause especially it is called a signe There is no picture of the King that will deliuer the King vnto you there is no other image that will exhibite the thing whereof it is the image therefore there is no image can be a Sacrament Then in respect the Lord hath appointed the Sacraments as hands to deliuer and exhibite the thing signified for this deliuery and exhibition chiefly they are called signes As the word of the Gospell is a mightie and potent instrument to our euerlasting saluation so the Sacrament is a potent instrument appointed by God to deliuer vs to Christ Iesus to our euerlasting saluation For this spirituall meate is dressed and giuen vp to vs in spirituall dishes that is in the ministerie of the word and in the ministerie of the Sacraments And suppose this ministerie be externall yet the Lord is said to deliuer spirituall and heauenly things by these external things Why Because he hath appointed them as instruments whereby he will deliuer his owne Sonne vnto vs. For this is certaine that none hath power to deliuer Christ Iesus vnto vs except God and his holy Spirit and therefore to speake properly there is none can deliuer Christ but God by his owne Spirit he is deliuered by the ministerie of the holy Spirit it is the holy Spirit that seales him vp in our hearts confirmes vs more and more in him as the Apostle giueth him this stile 2. Cor. 1.22 To speake properly there is none hath power to deliuer Christ but God the Father or himselfe There is none hath power to deliuer the Mediator but his owne Spirit yet it hath pleased God to vse some instruments and meanes whereby he will deliuer Christ Iesus vnto vs. The meanes are these the ministerie of the word and the ministerie of the Sacraments and in respect he vseth these as meanes to deliuer Christ they are said to deliuer him But here ye haue to distinguish betweene the principall efficient deliuerer the instrumentall efficient which is the word SacrameÌ„ts keeping this distinction both these are true God by his word God by his Spirit deliuereth Christ Iesus vnto you Then I say I call theÌ„ signes because God hath made theÌ„ potent instruments to deliuer the same thing which they signifie Now I go to the thing signified and I call the thing signified by the signes in the Sacrament that which Irenaeus that old Writer calleth the heauenly and spirituall thing to wit whole Christ with his whole gifts benefites and graces applied and giuen to my soule Then I call not the thing signified by the signes of Bread and Wine the benefits of Christ the graces of Christ or the vertue that floweth out of Christ onely but I call the thing signified together with the benefits and vertues flowing from him the very substance of Christ himselfe from which this vertue doth flow The substance with the vertues gifts and graces that flow from the substance is the thing signified here As for the vertue and graces that flow from Christ it is not possible that thou canst be partaker of the vertue that floweth from his substance except thou be first partaker of the substance it selfe For how is it possible that I can be partaker of the iuyce that floweth out of any substance except I be partaker of the substance it selfe first Is it possible that my stomach can be refreshed with that meate the substance whereof neuer came into my mouth Is it possible my drought can be slackned with that drinke that neuer passed downe my throat Is it possible that I can sucke any vertue out of any thing except I get the substance first So it is impossible that I can get the iuyce and vertue that floweth out of Christ except I get the substance that is himselfe first So I call not the thing signified the grace and vertue that floweth from Christ onely nor Christ himselfe and his substance without his vertue and graces onely but ioyntly the substance with the graces whole Christ God and man without separation of his natures wiâ—hout distinguishing of his substance from his graces I call the thing signified by the signes in the Sacrament for why if no more be signified by the Bread but the flesh and bodie of Christ onely and no more be signified by the Wine but the bloud of Christ onely thou canst not say that the body of Christ is Christ it is but a part of Christ thou canst not say that the blood of Christ is whole Christ it is but a part of him and a peece of thy Sauiour saued thee not a part of thy Sauiour wrought not the worke of thy saluation and so suppose thou get a peece of him in the Sacrament that part will do thee no good To the end therefore that this Sacrament may nourish thee to life euerlasting thou must get in it thy whole Sauiour whole Christ God and man with his whole graces and benefites without separation of his substance from his graces or of the one nature from the other And how get I him Not by my mouth It is a vaine thing to thinke that we will get God by our mouth but we get him by faith As he is a Spirit so I eate him by faith and beliefe in my soule not by the teeth of my mouth that is a vaine thing Be it that
thou mightest eate the flesh of Christ with thy teeth this were a cruell manner of doing yet thou maist not eate the God-head with thy teeth this is a grosse fashion of speaking Then if euer ye get good of the Sacrament ye must get whole Christ and there is not any instrument whereby to lay hold on him but by faith onely therefore come with a faithfull heart O but ye will aske me and by appearance the definition laid downe of the thing signified giueth a ground to it If the flesh of Christ and the bloud of Christ be a part of the thing signified how can I call his flesh a spirituall thing and Christ in respect of his flesh a heauenly thing Ye will not say that the substance of Christs flesh is spirituall or that the substance of his bloud is spirituall wherefore then call ye it an heauenly and spirituall thing I will tell you The flesh of Christ is called a spirituall thing and Christ is called spirituall in respect of his flesh not that his flesh is become a Spirit or that the substance of his flesh is become spirituall No it remaineth true flesh and the substance of it is one as it was in the wombe of the Virgin His flesh is not called spiritual in respect it is glorified in the heauens at the right hand of the Father be not deceiued with that for suppose it be glorified yet it remaineth true flesh that same very flesh which he tooke out of the wombe of the blessed Virgine Neither is it spirituall because thou seest it not in the Supper if thou wert where it is thou mightest see it but it is called spirituall in respect of the spirituall ends whereunto it serueth to my body and soule because the flesh and bloud of Christ serueth to nourish me not to a temporall but to a spirituall and heauenly life Now in respect this flesh is a spirituall foode seruing me to a spirituall life for this cause it is called a spirituall thing if it nourish me as the flesh of beasts doth but to a temporall life it shoud be called but a temporall thing but in respect it nourisheth my soule not to an earâ—hly and temporall life but to an heauenly celestiall and spirituall end in respect of this end the flâ—sh of Christ and Christ in respect of his flesh is called the spirituall thing â—n the Sacrament It is called also the spirituall thing in the Sacrament in respect of the spirituall instrument whereby it is receiued The instrument whereby the flesh of Christ is receiued is not a corporall instrument is not the teeth and mouth of the bodie but it is spirituall it is the mouth of the soule which is faith and in respect the instrument is spirituall therefore Christ who is receiued is also called spirituall In respect also that the manner of receiuing is heauenly spirituall and an internall manner not a naturall nor externall manner in respect that the flesh of Christ which is giuen in the Sacrament is receiued by a spirituall and secret manner which is not seene to the eyes of men In all these respects I call Christ Iesus the heauenly and spirituall thing which is signified by the signes in the Sacrament Now I say in the end the thing signified must be applied to vs. What auaileth it me to see my medicine in a box standing in an Apothecaries shop what can it worke toward me if it be not applied What auaileth it me to see my saluation afarre of if it be not applied to me Therfore it is not enough for vs to see Christ but he must be giuen vs or else he cannot worke health and saluation in vs. And as this saluation is giuen vs we must haue a mouth to take it What auaileth it me to see meate before me except I haue a mouth to take it So the thing signified in the Sacrament must be giuen vs by God by the three persons of the Trinity one God by Christ Iesus who must giue himselfe and as he giues himselfe so we must haue a mouth to take him Suppose he present and offer himselfe yet he can profite and auaile none but them who haue a mouth to receiue him Then ye see what I call the thing signified whole Christ applyed to vs and receiued by vs whole Christ God and man without separation of his natures without distinguishing of his substance from his graces all applyed to vs. Then I say seeing we come to the Sacrament to be fed by his flesh and refreshed by his bloud to be fed to an heauenly and spirituall life and seeing there is no profite to be had at this Table without some kinde of preparation therefore let no man prease to come to this Table except in some measure he be prepared Some will be prepared in a greater measure then others alwayes let no man presume to go to it except in some measure his heart be sanctified therefore my exhortation concerning the way whereby euery one of you ought to prepare your selues that ye may fit you the better to this Table is this There is not one of you that cometh to the Table of the Lord that may bring before the Lord his integrity iustice and vprightnes but whosoeuer goeth to the Table of the Lord he ought to go with the acknowledging and confession of his misery he ought to go with a sorrowfull heart for the sinnes wherein he hath offended God he ought to go with a hatred of those sinnes Not to protest that he is holy iust and vpright but to protest and confesse that he is miserable and of all creatures the most miserable and therefore he goeth to that Table to get support for his misery to obtaine mercy at the throne of Grace to get remission and forgiuenesse of sinnes to get the gift of repentance that more and more he may study to liue vprightly holily and soberly in all time to come Therefore except ye haue entred into this course and haue a purpose to continue in this course to amend your life past to repent you of your sinnes and by the grace of God to liue more vprightly and soberly then ye haue done for Gods cause go not to the Table For where there is not a purpose to do well and to repent of necessity there must be a purpose to do il and whosouer cometh to that Table with a purpose to do ill and without a purpose to repent he cometh to mock Christ to scorne him to his face and to eate his owne present condemnation So let no man come to that Table that hath not in his heart a purpose to do better that hath not a heart to sorrow for his sinnes past and thinketh not his former folly and madnesse ouer-great Let no man come to that Table without this vnder the paine of condemnation But if ye haue in your heart a purpose to do better suppose your former life hath bene dissolute and loose
lying in the farthest part of England if ye haue a good title to it the distance of the place cannot hurt your title so I say the distance of place hurts not my title and my right that I haue to Christ. But though he be sitting at the right hand of the Father yet the title and right that I haue to him makes him mine so that I may say truly this Christ is my property Then Christ is not made mine because I fetch him out of the heauens but he is mine because I haue a sure title and right to him and hauing a sure title and iust right to him the distance of place how farre soeuer it be can no wayes hurt my title nor right but where-euer he be he is mine because I haue a right and title to him Yea not onely haue I a title to him but this title is confirmed to me For as I get a title to him in the word and if I got not that title to him in the word I durst not come to the Sacrament so in the Sacracrament I get the confirmation of my title I get the Seale which confirmes my title Then to come to the point Christs body is sitting at the right hand of the Father and yet he is mine and is deliuered to me because I haue right to his body be it where it will he was borne for me giuen to mee and deliuered to me So distance of place hurts not the surety of my title as propinquity of place helpes not the surety of the same Though Christ would bow the heauens and touch thee with his body as he did Iudas yet this could not helpe thee for if thou hast not a title to him thou darest not call him thine So it is not the neerenesse nor proximity of place that maketh Christ mine It is onely the right that I haue to him I haue right to him onely by faith So by faith onely Christ is made mine But they thinke they haue gotten a great vantage of vs if we be so farre from Christ as the heauen is from the earth but this shall be answered by Gods grace I haue a title to his bodie his bodie is distant from my bodie yet his bodie is not distant from me that is from my soule I say his bodie and my soule are conioyned It is a strange ladder that will reach from the earth to the heauens yet let me tell you there is a cord that extendeth from the earth to the heauens and coupleth me and Christ together and this is onely true faith By true faith Christ though he be in the heauens is coupled and conioyned with me who am here on earth I will shew you this by a similitude Is not the bodie of the Sunne in the firmament It is impossible for you to touch the bodie of the Sunne yet the bodie of the Sunne and ye are conioyned How By those beames that shine on you by that light that shineth vpon you Why may not the bodie of Christ then though it be in the heauens be conioyned with me that am on earth namely by the beames by the light and gladnesse that floweth from his bodie My bodie and Christs bodie are conioyned by the vertue and power flowing from his bodie which vertue and power quickneth my dead soule maketh me to liue the life of Christ to begin to die to my selfe and euer the more I die to my selfe the more I liue to Christ. This coniunction now is the ground as I told you of all our felicitie and happinesse and I haue made it cleare to you at this time so far as God hath giuen me insight Alwaies ye see this coniunction is brought to passe by two speciall meanes by the holy Spirit by faith If there be no other meanes but these two what needest thou a carnall or a visible coniunction Faith is inuisible and the Spirit is inuisible therefore thou canst not see it nor take it vp with the eye of thy bodie The power of the holy Spirit is so subtile secret and inuisible that thou canst not perceiue it nor take it vp with the eye of the bodie and it will worke great effects in thy soule or euer thou perceiuest his working In respect therefore that the meanes of this coniunction are so subtill secret and spirituall why thinkest thou to get a sight of this coniunction with the eye of thy bodie why imaginest thou such a carnall coniunction as this which would do thee no good if thou hadst it Knowest thou not that the Spirit that coupleth vs and Christ is infinite so that it is as easie for the Spirit to couple vs and Christ how far distant soeuer we be as it is easie for our soules to couple our head and the feete of our bodies though they be distant Then seeing this coniunction is the ground and fountaine of all our happinesse and seeing this ground of happinesse is so substill and so spirituall what is your part Remoue all your outward senses remoue all your naturall motions remoue your naturall discourses and your naturall reason and follow the sight and information of the Spirit of God Craue that it would please him to illuminate your vnderstanding that by the light of his Spirit ye may see clearely the spirituall coniunction Except the eye of the Spirit be giuen you to perceiue this spirituall coniunction it is not possible that ye can get any insight in it But if the Lord of his mercie will bestow some measure of his holy Spirit vppon you out of question ye shall soone come to the vnderstanding of it and ye shall thinke the time happie that euer ye heard this word Except ye haue some part of this Spirit it is not possible that ye can be spirituall That which is borne of flesh and bloud will remaine flesh and bloud except the Spirit come in and make it spirituall Therefore ye must be borne againe of the Spirit ye must be borne in the bodie of Christ his Spirit must quicken you This is called the quickning and liuing Spirit of Christ by Iohn And so soone as the Spirit cometh what doth it It chaseth away darknesse out of the vnderstanding whereas before I knew not God now I see him not onely generally that he is a God but that he is my God in Christ. What more doth the holy Spirit It openeth the heart as well as the minde and what doth it there Those things whereon I bestowed the affections of my heart and imployed the loue of my soule are by the working of the holy Spirit made gall to me he maketh them venome to me and to be as deadly hated of me as poyson He worketh sâ—ch an inward disposition in my soule that he maketh me to turne and flie from those things whereon I imployed my loue before and to imploy it vpon God This is a great perfection Alwaies in some measure he makeâ—h me to loue God better then any other thing
little vertue in the syllables or pronouncing of the words themselues So we denie that there is any vertue inclosed in the syllables or resident in the word But we say that there is a power conioyned with the word and this power is not resident in the word but is resident in the eternall word in the essentiall word whereof Iohn the Euangelist maketh mention Chap. 1. The word which was from the beginning that is the Sonne of God Christ Iesus We say there is not a dram weight of this vertue power resident in anie creature that euer God created but it is only resident in Christ Iesus And therefore there floweth no vertue from the sillables nor from the words that are spoken but from Christ and his Spirit who giueth the vertue to those words So we differ in this we say that there is not any vertue resident in the sillables we say that the sillables and pronouncing of the sillables worke nothing but we say that the vertue is resident in the person of the Sonne of God and he worketh by his owne word Now we say that there cannot be such a monstrou change as to say the whispering of so many words should change the owne substance of the bread pull downe the substance of the bodie of Christ and put his bodie in so narrow a compasse we say that cannot be And this I shall proue by these three rules namely By the veritie of the flesh of Christ Iesus By the articles of our beliefe And by the true end of the institution of this Sacrament And so we shall see by Gods grace the infinite absurdities that follow vpon their opinion The first principle that I lay is this Seeing that Christ Iesus the Sonne of God in the time appointed tooke true flesh of the wombe of the Virgin vnited himselfe with our nature in one personall vnion to the end that our nature which fel altogether from integritie in the first Adam might recouer the same in the second Adam yea not onely the same but so much the greater as our second Adam excelleth the first in all degrees And in respect he tooke on him a bodie like vnto ours in all things sinne excepted of necessitie it must follow that the definition of a true bodie and the inseparable properties thereof must be competent to him But these are the inseparable properties namely to be in one certaine place to be finite circumscribed visible and palpable for all these concurre quarto modo as the Logicians say to a bodie so that they cannot be separate from the subiect without the distraction thereof Then I reason on this manner A true humane bodie is in a certaine place Christ Iesus bodie is a true humane bodie therefore it is in a certaine place I call a place a certaine condition of an instrumentall bodie whereby it cometh to passe that where-euer the bodie be of necessitie it is limited within that place and while it is there it cannot be elsewhere If you would haue the probation of my Proposition from the Doctors reade Augustine to Dardanus speaking of this same bodie of Christ. Take away a certaine roome from the bodies and they shall be in no place and if they be in no place they are not The same Augustine writing vpon Iohn in his 30. Treatise saith The bodie in the which the Lord did arise of necessitie must be in a place but his diuine efficacie and nature is diffused euery where And in his third Eple he saith How much soeuer the bodie be or how little soeuer the bodie be it behoueth to occupie the bounds of a place And besides these tâ—e historie of the Acts proueth most euidently Christ his bodie to be in a certaine place as Acts 3.21 the words are these Whom the heauens must containe vntill the time that all things be restored which God had spoken by the mouth of all his holy Prophets Though I need not to insist in the probation of these things yet I proceede Secondly then I reason after this manner A humane bodie is finite and circumscribed but the bodie of Christ is a humane bodie What warrant from the Doctors haue I for this I leaue many purposely and will alledge onely Augustine who writing to Dardanus Belieue saith he Christ to be euery where in that he is God but onely to be in heauen according to the nature of a true bodie And in his 146. Epistle I belieue saith he the bodie of Christ to be so in heauen as it was on the earth when he went vp to heauen But it was circumscribed in a certaine place on the earth Ergo it is so in the heauen And consequently it cannot be in the Masse-bread and in heauen both at one time The last reason is this A humane bodie is visible and palpable but Christ hath a humane bodie and he is corporally present as they say therefore Christ his bodie is visible and palpaple I proue my Proposition by Christ his owne words taken out of Luke 24.39 In the which place to perswade the Apostles of the veritie of his bodie and to proue euidently that it was not fantasticall he vseth the argument taken from these two qualities and he commandeth his Apostles to feele and see giuing them thereby to vnderstand that as these two senses are the most certaine of all the rest so are they most able to discerne whether he was a bodie or a Spirit As if he would haue said If I be visible and palpable ye may be out of doubt that I haue a true bodie For as the Poet saith which Tertullian citeth also to this same purpose Tangere enim tangi nisi corpus nulla potest res By these arguments it may be euidently seene how this Transubstantiation may no way stand with the veritie of the bodie of Christ Iesus And as it fights wiâ—h the flesh of Christ Iesus so it repugnes dirâ—ctly the articles of our faith For in our Beliefe we professe that Christ ascended out of this earth to the heauen where he sits at the right hand of the Father where he gouerns and directs all things in heauen and earth from the which place he is to come at the last day to iudge the world This article teacheth vs that he hath changed his dwelling which he had amongst vs on earth and is ascended into the heauens where he sits at the right hand of his Father and shall remaine there according to the testimonie of Peter which I cited out of the Acts 3.21 vntill the last day If he sit at his Fathers right hand and be to remaine in heauen vntill the last day then is he not corporally in the bread But the article of our beliefe saith That he sitteth at the right hand of his Father and Peter saith in that place that the heauens must containe him vntill the last day Therefore this Transubstantiation is directly against the articles of our Beliefe and the manifest
I beseech them seeing that reason failes them that they fight not against God for maintenance of a lie how old soeuer it be for the diuell is old enough and yet he could neuer change his nature But let them rather glorifie God in confessing these speeches to be Sacramentall Then what is the reason and ground wherefore the Papists pull downe the substance of the body of Christ and the bloud of Christ and make the very substance to be corporally really and substantially in the Sacrament The reason is this Because they cannot see by their naturall iudgement nor can vnderstand by their naturall wit the truth of this to wit how Christs flesh and bloud caâ— be present in the Sacrament except he be present to their corporall mouth and stomacke If they had the light to informe them that Christ might be present in the Sacrament and not to the hand to the mouth or stomack they would neuer think of such a monstrous presence as they imagine to be there But being destitute of the spirituall light they follow their naturall reason and make a naturall and carnall presence So that ye haue this lesson to nore from hence There is no man that hath not the spirit of God to vnderstand this word This is my body but out of question he will do as the Papists do that is he will vmderstand it carnally And so they misknowing the right meaning of it it is no marueile though and we differ in this matter For will you aske of a Papist first if the true body of Christ be there or if the true flesh and bloud of Christ be there he will say it is there will you aske him wherein he will say in and vnder the accidents of the bread and wine vnder the hew and roundnesse of the bread will you aske him againe by what instrument it is receiued He will tell you by the mouth and stomacke of the body So this is their grosse vnderstanding of the body and bloud of Christ. Will you aske of the Vbiqueter if the true body of Christ be present he will say it is will you aske if it be in with or vnder the bread he will answere It is in the bread contentiuè that is the bread containes it will you aske him to what instrument it is offered he will answere that the bodie of Christ is offered to the mouth of our bodie and that the bloud of Christ is offered to the mouth of our body as the Papists do Will you know of vs how Christ Iesus his true body bloud is present We wil say that they are spiritually present really present that is present in the Lords Supper and not in the bread we will not say that his true flesh is present to the hand or to the mouth of our bodies but we say it is spiritually present that is present vnto thy spirit and faythfull soule yea euen as present inwardly vnto thy soule as the bread and wine are present vnto thy body outwardly Will you aske then if the body and bloud of Christ Iesus be present in the Lords Supper We answer in a word They are present but not in the bread and wine nor in the accidents nor substance of bread and wine And we make Christ to be present in this Sacrament because he is present to my soule to my spirit fayth Also we make him present in the Lords Supper because I haue him in his promise This is my body which promise is present to my faith and the nature of faith is to make things that are absent in themselues yet present And therefore seâ—ing he is both present by faith in his promise and present by the vertue of his holy Spirit who can say but that he is present in this Sacrament But yet the word would be explained what we meane by the word present how a thing is said to be present and absent And knowing this ye shall finde all the mater easie I say things are said to be present as they are perceiued by any outward or inward sense and as they are perceiued by any of the senses so are they present and the further they be perceiued the further present and by what sense any thing is perceiued to that sense it is present As if it be outwardly perceiued by an outward sense that thing is outwardly present As for exaÌ„ple if it be perceiued by the outward sight of the eye by the outward hearing of the eare by the outward feeling of the hands or taste of the mouth it is outwardly present Or if any thing be perceiued by the inward eye by the inward taste and feeling of the soule this thing cannot be outwardly present but it must be spiritually and inwardly present to the soule So I say euery thing is present as it is perceiued So that if you perceiue not a thing outwardlie it is outwardly absent and if ye perceiue not a thing inwardly it is inwardly absent It is not distance of place that maketh a thing absent nor propinquity of place that makes a thing present but it is onelie the perceiuing of any thing by any of thy senses that makes a thing present and the not perceiuing that makes a thing absent I say though the thing it selfe were neuer so farre distant if thou perceiue it by thine outward sense it is present vnto thee As for example my bodie and the Sunne are as farre distant in place as the heauen is from the earth yet this distance stayeth not the Sunnes presence from me why because I perceiue the Sunne by mine eye and other senses I feele it and perceiue it by the heate by the light and by his brightnesse So if a thing were neuer so farre distant if we haue senses to perceiue the same it is present to vs. Then the distance of place makes not a thing absent from thee if thou hast senses to perceiue it likewise the neerenes of place makes not a thing present be it neuer so neere if thou hast not senses to perceiue it As for example if the Sunne shine vpon thine eyes if thou be blinde it is not present to thee because thou canst not perceiue it A sweete tune will neuer be present to a deafe eare though it be sung in the eare of that man because he hath not a sense to perceiue it and a well told tale will neuer be present to a foole because he cannot vnderstand it nor hath no iudgement to perceiue it So it is not the nearenesse nor distance of place that maketh any thing present or absent but onely the perceiuing or not perceiuing of it Now the word being made cleare aske you how the bodie of Christ is present To giue our iudgement in a word as ye haue heard from time to time he is present not to the outward senses but to the inward senses which is faith wrought in the soule For this action of the Sacrament and
is no blessednesse but all his life is more then terrible miserie For whatsoeuer it be that flatters and pleaseth thee now be it a thought or motion of the mind or an action of the bodie that pleaseth thee now without faith the same very motion cogitation or action shall torment thee hereafter So without faith it is not possible to please God and whatsoeuer pleaseth not God is done to torment thee Therefore craue mercie for whatsoeuer motion cogitation or action wherein thou hast offended God or for the same God shall offend and torment thee And to eschue the offence of God there is no meanes but by true faith therefore the studie of a Christian should be to grow in faith Now by hearing of the word thou gettest faith and by receiuing this Sacrament thou obtainest the increase of faith and hauing faith the receiuing of the Sacrament shall be fruitfull but without faith thou eatest thine owne condemnation Then the whole studie of a Christian is to get faith and this faith cannot be obtained with idlenesse but by earnest prayer therefore let euery one of vs fall downe and craue earnestly this faith and the increase of it whereby we may be worthie receiuers of this blessed Sacrament and that for the righteous merits of Christ Iesus To whom with the Father and the holy Spirit be all honour praise and glorie both now and euer Amen THE SIXTH SERMON VPON THE 38. CHAP. OF the Prophecie of ISAIAH preached in the presence of the Kings Maiestie ISAIAH 38. 1 About that time was Hezekiah sicke vnto the death and the Prophet Isaiah the sonne of Amos came vnto him and said vnto him Thus saith the Lord Put thine house in an order for thou shalt die and not liue 2 And Hezekiah turned his face vnto the wall and prayed to the Lord. 3 And said I beseech thee Lord remember now how I haue walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart and haue done that which is good in thy sight and Hezekiah wept sore IN these words which I haue presently read welbeloued in Christ Iesus the heauie disease whereinto this godly King fell is at length described and the manner of his behauiour vnder this disease is well set downe It pleased the Lord to exercise this godly King with this heauie tentation amongst many moe And suppose it be true that diseases are common to all flesh yet the manner how to behaue our selues vnder diseases is not common Therefore let all flesh take heede to the seuerall parts of this historie that they may learne so to behaue themselues in the day of their miserie that taking vp this Kings behauiour they may in the end obtaine his comfort In the beginning of this Chapter the King is brought in lying vnder an heauie disease the kinde and manner of this disease is concealed although it may be gathered from the 21 verse of the Chap. and therefore I note it here Secondly the time when he fell into this disease is also noted Thirdly the greatnesse and weight of this disease is likewise noted And last of all the manner of the Kings behauiour vnder so terrible a disease is at length set downe To returne to the first The kinde of the disease as may be gathered out of that verse was a pestilentious byle for the name which is giuen to the byle is the same name which is giuen to the botch of Egypt that same name which is expressed Exod. 9.9 a matterie kinde of byle breaking out into many heads for so the nature of the word signifieth The most dangerous and deadly kinde of plague that was in the daies of that king In deed since as the world hath growne in wickednesse so it hath brought foorth more dangerous kinds of botches then before the experience whereof this Towne hath had For as man is ingenious to inuent new sinnes to prouoke God to wrath the Lord being both iust and prudent on the other part deuiseth new plagues to punish these new sinnes of men for the store-house of the Lords iudgements can neuer be emptied But surely it is a wonderfull matter that he should haue visited so godly a King with so terrible a both in respect that this plague proceedeth commonly from his hote rage and wrath For from his wrath it takes these names ofttimes as when it is called the finger of the Lord his feare by night his flying arrow by day and the deuouring plague Now I say the matter is wonderfull that he louing this King so well should so extremely haue plagued him in the sight of the whole world What should this teach vs This visitation of the King teacheth vs two necessarie lessons First it teacheth vs not to measure the fauor and hatred of God by any externall thing on the earth For if we looke to the visitation of God vpon his children if we looke to the nature of the plague and affliction either in quantitie or qualitie if we looke to the long continuance diuturnity of the plague in the iudgement of man and in the iudgement of him that is afflicted sometime it shall come to passe that he shall thinke himselfe in a worse case then any of the reprobate But howsoeuer it be so esteemed in the heart and iudgement of man yet it is farre otherwise in the iudgement of God For there lieth hid one thing in the heart of God concerning vs that are his children and an other thing concerning the Reprobate in such sort that suppose affliction be common to vs and them yet the cause from whence the affliction proceedeth is not common not the end whereunto it tendeth For as to vs our affliction sloweth from the fauour loue and mercy of God in Christ Iesus and tendeth to our great profite and commodity to wit that we being corrected here should not perish hereafter with the wicked world But as for the affliction of the reprobate it floweth from the hote wrath and indignation of God vpon them he as a righteous iudge beginning their punishment here which shall last for euer So affliction that is vnto them a part of his iustice vnto vs is a mercifull correction The Prophet Isaiah in his 27. chap. expresseth this matter so liuely that I thinke there is no part of Scripture in the which there is greater comfort In the 4. and 7. verses of that chapter he saith to the Church I am not saith he in furie I am not in rage suppose I strike thee yea suppose I beate thee saith he I strike not thee as I strike them that strike thee I slay not thee as I them that slay thee for in correcting thee I purge thee from thine iniquity in striking thee I remoue thy sins from thee but I do not so with the rest Then the first lesson that ye haue to learne here is this Measure not the fauour of God by any externall thing in the earth whether it be prosperity or aduersitie The
Spirit of God offer the contrarie occasion will not be a thousand times more ready to comfort And therefore the Lord in his mercy giue you grace Sir that ye may haue that testimony of a good conscience to vphold you without the which there is no true comfort But alas when I looke on the misery and calamity of this Country I am almost out of hope for why Your subiects haue gotten such a custome of sinne and euil doing whereby they haue drawne on such an habite and hardnesse of heart that nothing is pleasant to them but that which is displeasing to God and nothing displeasing to them but that which is pleasing to him What is it I pray you that custome wil not bow What is it that custome will not alter What is it that continuall vse will not harden There is no potion so bitter-tasted in the beginning but if thou vse it a litle while it shall appeare not so bitter continue yet further in it it shall appeare nothing bitter at all go forward yet in it and in the end it shal become sweete suppose in the beginning it were most bitter Euen so it standeth with that miserable man that casteth his whole delight in ill doing that he hath such a custome in euill doing that nothing is pleasing to him but whiâ—h is displeasing to God and nothing displeasing to him but that which is pleasing to God For the mischieuous custome of euill doing banisheth light out of the minde· And as it banisheth light out of the minde it so banisheth all feeling out of the conscience and in stead of light cometh darknesse and in stead of feeling cometh hardnesse Now the conscience being hardened the minde being darkened what remaineth but a desperate and an obstinate condition like to the diuell who is said to be bound in chaines vnder perpetuall darknes This is wonderful that such continuall thundering of these threatnings is not able to moue them But it is no maruaile for there is no words will moue them yea it is impossible to the bloody man or oppressor to refaine from time they be once giuen ouer to sinne For from time the sinne hath gotten superiority in them as Peter sayth it commandeth them more absolutely then a Prince would command his subiect for sinne hath made them such slaues and they are so carried with impotency of their affections that they dare no more refraine from the seruice of sinne then a good seruant from his masters seruice I pray God that he so multiply the Spirit of gouernment vpon you Sir that holy vnction of Kings that we may once see this great insolency that breaketh out in so great contempt condignly punished that ye may keep your conscience pure and holy Thus much concerning the thing that is to be eschued in Ionas Now followeth another lesson to be learned in the person of Isaiah ye see Isaiah is ready to do what the Lord commandeth When the Lord biddeth him blow the blast of iudgement he bloweth it When the Lord biddeth him come he cometh when the Lord biddeth him go he goeth Then the lesson is this We that are the Trumpetters of the Lord we must not blow as our affections and men bid but as the Lord biddeth vs we must not sound the retreate when we should sound the march nor we must not sound the march when we shauld sound the retreate We must not sound iudgement when the Lord biddeth sound mercy and we must not sound mercy when the Lord biddeth sound iudgement But now the sinnes of the Land craue that all pulpits sound iudgement Therefore iudgement must be sounded There is no way to auert this iudgement but that euery man according to his calling put to his hand to reforme according to the bounds and power that is committed vnto him And the best way were that ye that are Noble men concurre with your Prince and his Maiestie concurre with heart and hand to repaire the ruines of this Country Thus farre for the second lesson Now he subioyneth the Narratiue In the Narratiue he sayth to the King That the Lord hath heard his prayer and hath seene his teares as if he would say Suppose thou lay in thy chamber turned thee to the wall yet I heard all the words that thou spake and I saw all the teares that distilled from thee And suppose it was not in the temple yet all was manifest to me This is a great comfort Then the lesson in generall is this In all places and to all estates the Lords eare is euer fastned to the cryes of his owne he seeth their teares and he heareth their words And suppose he be not alway as ready to dispatch them as he was to Hezechia yet he leaueth them not but he susteineth them in the meane time by the comfort of his spirit and in the end he granteth them their petition so farre as is sufficient And if it be according to his will he giueth them more then they sought If this be true that the Lords eare is present to heare the prayer of his owne and his eye to see their teares will not the Lord be moued at the cryes of them that are oppressed with these bloudy men It is wonderfull that no threatning nor denunciation will moue these men but if euery teare be powred in the Lords viole and euery word heard of the Lord how much more shall euery drop of bloud be in the Lords viole What is the reason that these bloody men will not giue eare The reason is this they haue layed this ground and vpon this false ground they build all their false conclusions with Atheists that there is not a God and vpon this ground they build all their mischieuous workes But I would demand of these men that haue layd this ground if there be not a God whence floweth this feare and terror of conscience this trembling and vnquietnesse which gnaweth them if there be not a God how is it that they are so tormented Suppose they haue banished knowledge out of their minde feeling out of their conscience all that should feare them out of their heart yet they haue euen this feare trembling in their soule And it is not possible to banish this feare do what they can yea the more murthers they commit the greater is their feare So where men thinke to make themselues sure by slaughter it is the high way to cast themselues in greater vnsurety and make their heart more fearefull then it was From whence come these torments but from God forewarning them of Hell and these are the beginning of hell to thee in this life Which if God would let off the all full measure they would not faile to put violent hands on themselues thinking thereby to get an outgate to their soule for they thinke if the soule were out of this bodie it should be in a better case where in the meane time
moued him to do Now beside the retraction the force of his prayer appeareth in the health of his bodie in lengthning of his dayes in giuing him a prosperous and sure estate and last in confirming it by such a wonderfull signe that the like was neuer heard nor seene before Iudge ye then what is the force and effect of the prayer of a faithfull man The second thing that I marked was this the wonderfull inclination that the Lord hath to mercie how well he answereth to his names and stiles whiles he is called a God of compassion a God of exceeding and infinite mercie The third thing that we marked on this suddainnesse was that strict and entire coniunction that standeth betwixt the faithfull soule on the one part and God on the other part to wit the coniunction is so strict that it maketh God as present to the faithful soule as if heauen and earth were coupled together Thâ—s coniunction by faith maketh Christ our helpe to be as neare in time of neede as if he had placed his throne of grace in the bed where we lie Ye see how swiftly the Kings prayer mounteth ye see how swiftly the answer returneth ye see in such a celeritie the matter is dispatched as if there were no distance betwixt heauen and earth Then by this it clearly appeareth that there is no distance of place that can make the Lord consume time in doing of his will Also there is no distance of place neither thicknesse of walls that can hold the Lords presence from the faithfull soule but he is as present to the faithfull soule as any corporall obiect is to the bodily eye There is no obiect so present to the bodily eye as the Lord is present to the soule Thus farre we proceeded in the first circumstance Vpon this we gathered and let you see where the King lay It behoued him to haue bene layed in his owne house And we shew also that this was a signe of the fauour of God that he should be diseased there where he might be best eased without trouble to others As to the giuer of the gift it is God for there is no good gift but it floweth from him As to the bearer it is Isaiah not of necessity for the Lord is not bound to any second instruments but of a voluntary and free obligation he hath obliged himselfe to vtter his power and to worke by them Here I wished you in my exhortation be diligent hearers of the word be not deceiued with your foolish conceits I will reade as good at home better I say the Lord will not worke by thy reading when thou contemnest the ordinary meanes he hath bound him to his instruments that by hearing faith shall come he will not worke by his Spirit except thou heare Heare the word therefore as long as the Lord giueth thee grace and continueth it He hath bound himselfe to grant faith by hearing and not by reading in contempt of hearing As to the preface we shew it differed from the former preface in two poynts First there was mention here made of Dauid which was not in the other and consequently of Christ in whom the comfort of the King stood and on whom all the comfort of the olde Testament is grounded without whom there is no true comfort Secondly in this preface he is called Dauids sonne not onely by nature but by grace and therefore the whole promise of grace made vnto Dauid iustlie appertaineth to him whereas otherwise if he had bene his sonne by nature onely the promises of grace had no more concerned him in particular then they concerned his father Achas But because by grace he was made the sonne of grace therefore the promises of grace iustlie appertaine to him Here we did let you see that it is not carnall generation which we draw from our parents that maketh vs the sonnes of God faithfull as they are but the generation of the promise in following the trade of their faith we are made the sonnes of our faithfull predecessors There was two things marked in the preface First the Prophet returneth not vntil he got a command The lesson is this to office-bearers in their calling to enterprise nothing in Gods affaires vntill they get his owne aduice The other thing we see in him a wonderfull and ready obedience to God For suppose the Prophet saw his threatning in an instant of time to be turned in mercy yet he is not angry but reioyceth to see the Lord worke so with this King Vpon this we gathered a lesson for teachers They should not be moued greatly when they see the Lords threatnings in an instant of time if it were possible turned in mercy I thinke there is none as I spake then but they will be exceedingly reioyced to see these threatnings which are threatned against these bloudy butchers against these adulterers against these oppressors and sacrilegious persons there is none I thinke but he will be exceedingly reioyced to see the Lord worke so that the Minister haue as great occasion to comfort as he had to threaten I thinke also that there is none that feareth God who will not reioyce to see the Magistrate who is the ouerseer and should take order with these bloudy men there is none but he will reioyce to see the threatnings which are iustly pronounced and shall as iustly light if they be not preuented to be turned in mercy But surely there is no hope of it for iniquity groweth so and it is come to such a maturity that surely the Lord from heauen will take vengeance on it if the Magistrate put not to his hand in time On the other part we learne of Isaiah to blow mercy when the Lord biddeth and to sound iudgement when the Lord biddeth for seeing the Lord hath appointed vs to be his mouth we must not speak what we please for so we are not the Lords mouth but our owne mouth So he that taketh vpon him to be his mouth let him sound as the Lord biddeth him In the Narratiue he saith he heard the Kings prayer And as he heard the Kings prayer so he heareth the prayers and seeth the teares of the oppressed of this land which the Magistrate should both heare and see And as he heareth them so he hath gathered their teares in his viole and in his owne time he will prouide a remedy Lastly he pronounceth three things vnto him health of the body length of dayes and a sure and prosperous estate which neuer entred in his minde to seeke And therefore I exhorted him that was present and you all what so euer ye want seeke it of God seeke it in Christ Iesus whether it be for the soule or body in him are placed full treasures for both if ye keepe you in the fauour of God and keepe you in his protection nothing shall hurt you And by the contrarie if ye lose his fâ—uour ye shall lose all Thus farre we proceeded in our
whole world he bringeth him into such dangers that whereas nature and naturall meanes could haue no place he deliuereth him so miraculously by such wonders to make all the world to stoupe Another end was this that this good King might be honored of all the world whom God so honored For good reason it is that those whom God so honoreth they should honour These haue bene the two ends why God hath wrought so many miracles in the person of this King For ye heard how wonderfully in the night by his Angell he destroyed a hundreth and fourescore thousands of persons this is a wonderfull thing and now when he had fallen in the hands of a terrible plague so that there is none able to helpe it yet the Lord healeth him extraordinarily and he confirmeth it by such a wonder that the like was neuer heard of or seene before In deede we reade in Iehoshuashs time that the Sunne was made to stand in the firmament but to go backe by so many houres and degrees it was neuer heard of nor seene before Looke then if these signes serued not to the honor of God and vnder God to the honor of his seruant The profite that is to be gathered of signes properly called signes instituted by God stands in the representation for there cannot be a signe properly except it represent in some measure the thing signified by it There must be some conformitie and proportion or else it is not a signe as Augustine saith But this signe whereof we speake is miraculous and supernaturall and therefore hath no such relation as Sacraments haue But yet there may be a proper and secret relation espied in it which is this for it appeareth well that God would let vs see and let the King see by the working of this signe that looke how easie it was to him to bring backe the Sunne which had but two houres to his going downe to that same place where he rose in the morning as easie it is to him and farre easier to bring backe the Kings life which had but two houres to the time of death to a fresh morning of youth againe and to a ioyfull age It is as easie to God to worke the one as the other And so we may take vp the end why these signes and such like wonders was wrought by Christ in establishing of the new couenant The end no doubt was to strengthen our faith which we haue alreadie receiued by the preaching of the Gospel for signes are not giuen to create in vs faith they are not giuen to begin our coniunction with Christ it is the preaching of the Gospell that beginneth this coniunction Signes are giuen as seales to enlarge and confirme this our coniunction And as the Apostle saith well Heb. 2. signes serue to two two ends first to beare witnesse to the truth secondly to confirme the faith of the beleeuer This ye see clearely in our Sacrament the Sacrament of the Supper This Sacrament was not appointed to make our coniunction first with Christ we haue not entry vnto Christ by this Sacrament but it maketh vs to possesse Christ whom we had alreadie in some measure It maketh vs to possesse him more fully and extendeth the bounds of our narrow heart that he may be the more largely receiued of vs so of this signe the King hath great comfort I grant there is greater comfort to be had in the word then of the signe and greater comfort to be had of the working of the Spirit within then of either of them yet it is as true that euery one of these bringeth their owne comfort There is greater comfort to be had of the word then of the signe and yet the signe hath the owne comfort There is greater comfort to be had of the Spirit then of the word and yet the word hath the owne comfort And there is no word able to vtter and far lesse any heart able to receiue that comfort yea not halfe the quarter of that comfort which is prepared for them that loue God So this signe suppose there be not so great comfort vttered by it as by the word yet it hath the owne comfort Thus farre concerning the signe it selfe As to the third thing the manifesting of this signe it is not by the vertue or power that flowed out of Isaiah suppose he was an instrument for the text resolueth this clearely where it is said This is the signe of the Lord besides this it is certaine that there is no force nor vertue in any creature yea not in the diuell himselfe to worke any true wonder but in God himselfe onely For why there is no signe or wonder which is a true wonder but it passeth the force bounds and compasse of nature Therefore there is no creature able to worke any wonder For why they are bounded within the compasse and bounds of their nature and therefore as to all these wonders and miracles which are wrought by the diuell and the Pope his vicar they are false and lying wonders I say it not but the Apostle saith it 2. Thess. 2. that the coming of Antichrist shall be in the mightie power of the diuell in the which he shall worke false wonders and lying signes And as all the rest are false and lyes so these legs and armes which ye see in the entries and porches of their Churches are manifest lies and deceits of Sathan Now as to the manner of the working of this miracle it it is said in the 2. Kings 20. that it was procured by the Prophets prayer It is â—aid there that the Prophet prayed that the Sunne should be brought backe So the prayer of the Prophet preuented before it came to passe Now that same very thing which the Lord was purposed to do and promised to do yet he wil do it in such sort that he wil haue the Prophet first to aske it Now this letteth vs see clearely that there is no merit in our prayers there is no such force or worthinesse in our prayers as to merit any thing but the Lord promiseth freely and as he promiseth freely so he performeth it as freely Then wherefore will he haue vs to pray Because prayer is a part of the worship of God he will haue vs to feele what the want of benefits is he will haue vs exercised in this part of duty that when we get them we may vse them so much the more to his glory What the prayers of this Country specially the prayers of the Church of this towne haue purchased in the withdrawing of the Lords threatning and chiefly of the last threatning I meane that huge Nauie of ships I think now the manifest effects declare But what honour God hath gotten for it our manners since that time clearely testifie For if yee looke to the growth of sinne more ougly sinnes were neuer committed then since that fame ceassed So I say he is mad and voide of all
him ready It is foolish false to thinke that preparation to death is a furtherance to death No the contrary is true The readier ye are to die the more able ye are to liue the lesse shall be your anguish when the Lord calleth As to the reasons I will not insist in them onely the last reason that maketh death to be so fearefull to this good King was the great loue which he had to the Church that was in his country the great care which he had of his faithfull subiects who should lacke by his death his mercifull protection And in this I did let you see that the country had an exceeding blessing where the Prince is so carefull for the Church in his country and of his faithfull subiects that in his death he hath mind of them and is grieued to depart from them As on the other side the Church must be as heauily cursed where the Prince hath no regard of the Church in his country nor of his faithfull subiects As to the reasons I will not stand precisely in iustifying of them all I thinke as the word soundeth that there is some thing worthy of praise and commendation in them and some thing worthy of dispraise and reproofe For so farre as they flow of faith and of the good spirit of God no question they are worthy of praise and so farre as they flow from the Kings vnruly affections they are worthy of dispraise And surely it appeareth by the words that his affections had bene somewhat vnruly Well the lesson that I gathered was This is the profite that we reape of these preposterous affections they draw our loue from God to the creatures And ere these affections can be drawne from the creature they bring such a griefe vnto them as it were another death Therefore the thing that we craued was that ye should set your affection vpon God The truth of loue is in God and therefore it becometh you to bring your hearts from the creature vnto God and imploy your affection vpon him in whom onely is solid ioy Thus farre we proceeded in our last exercise Now in the words which I haue read he returneth to his complaint and he taketh vp his lamentation againe in the first part of the 12. verse he vttereth his trouble wherein he was In the end of that verse and in the verse following he vttereth the great rage furie of his sicknes And in the 14. verse he letteth vs see what he did in this great rage and extremity of his disease Then to returne to the 12. verse I say in the beginning of it he returneth to his lamentation and he vttereth his complaint as he had wont to do bursting out after this manner Mine habitation saith he is departed and transported from me As if he would say my life is to depart and the Lord is to transport it to another part I see death is instant and the Lord is cutting off this present life of mine He letteth vs see the maner how his life is to be transported by two similitudes The first similitude he taketh from a shepheards tent The second similitude he taketh from a Weauer and his web As to the first similitude he sayth his life is to be transported from him like a shepheards tent Looke how the tents of shepheards are remoued transported and remoued so saith the King he saw his life to be subiect to the same transportation It is knowne to you all that reade histories that in the East hote countries as namely among the Tartars and Arabians where the shepheards in the sommer seasons remaine vnder tents so often as they remoue their flocks they remoue their tents And in our owne countrie here when our shepheards remoue their flockes they remoue their other necessaries alluding to that same custome so would the King say look how these tents are remoued in the sommer season transported my life is subiect to the same condition Of this similitude we haue matter full of good doctrine For this similitude doth first teach vs that there is nothing more instable vncertaine then is the life of man here beneath There is nothing more subiect to instability then this life which we liue in this body For as to the nature of tents ye see whether ye call them tents pauillions or tabernacles all is one by experience there is nothing more vnstable nor vncertaine to dwell in then is a tent For why it lacketh a ground it lacketh a foundation and stability and in stead of a ground it leaneth onely to certaine pinnes which enter not deepely into the earth and consequently by the lightest blast of euery wind they are blowne vp and when the pinnes faile the tent falleth So the King would teach vs by this similitude that this life of ours lacketh a ground lacketh a foundation and lacketh a stabilitie And therefore the King in this comparison would send vs to the life which hath the sure ground foundation and stability he sendeth vs to that kingdome which as the Apostle Heb. 12. saith cannot be shaken by no kind of stormy blasts And as I remember Heb. 11 9.10 there in these verses the Apostle maketh a flat opposition betwixt these tents that lacke a ground and the City of God saying that as tents and tabernables lacke a foundation and ground so the City of God on the contrary hath a ground and a foundation and in steede of one he calleth them in the plurall number foundations Looke saith he to the City that hath the foundations whose craftsman and builder is the God of heauen He expoundeth himselfe what he meaneth by the foundations in the last verse where he saith Such a kingdome as cannot be shaken that is whose ground is so sure that it cannot be shaken nor totter by no processe of time nor stormy blasts Then the first lesson that ye haue from this part of the comparison is this Learne to seeke for the City that hath sure foundations seek for the City that can not be shaken The Lord giue you grace so to do In the other part of the comparison he letteth vs see that so long as we are in this life we haue no pernament abode nor certaine remaining whereunto we may leane For as ye may perceiue by the historie of Genesis the Patriarkes dwelled in tens to testifie vnto vs two things First to testifie that they were no countreymen there nor natiue borne men of that country but strangers and pilgrimes in that country and as they professed themselues that they were not onely strangers of that countrey but counted themselus strangers so long as they remained on the face of this earth The second thing that they testified by dwelling in tents is that they were minded not to remaine there it was not their purpose to fixe their staffe as we speake there But they were vpon their iourney and seeking the way that leadeth homeward the way that
praise and thanksgiuing for the sacrifice of praise and thanksgiuing sanctifieth not only thy person but all the benefits which the Lord bestoweth on thy person For that which is true in meate and drinke is true in all the rest of the benefits which are pledges of his mercy in Christ Iesus Now the Apostle testifieth in the 4 to Timothie first Epist. 4. verse that thanksgiuing sanctifieth our meate and drinke and maketh it both holy and wholsome As this is true in these creatures so it is true in all the rest of the benefits and blessings of God So when I looke on this thanksgiuing I am mooued yea I am compelled to marke three things in it first I am mooued to marke the wonderfull goodnesse of God Secondly our horrible ingratitude Thirdly the great arrogancie of the enemies of God the Papists First then I say ye may easily see the goodnesse of God in this forme of praise who when he may require our life our soule and bodie and the whole actions of our life for his benefits yet he is content with a simple kind of praise and thanksgiuing in such sort that if the heart be good suppose we babble with words yet it is acceptable to him As this sheweth his kindnesse and wonderfull mercie on his part so on our part it sheweth our horrible ingratitude that albeit little will content our God yet we will not bestow that little on him it cometh neuer in our mind to thinke it much lesse to do it in deed So this is an intollerable ingratitude vpon our part This ingratitude maketh it come to passe that we possesse his benefits with an euill conscience This maketh it come to passe that the curse of God hangeth ouer all your riches which curse ye either see in your daies or else it is seene after you in your prodigall posteritie And this is onely by reason ye are vnthankfull to God for his benefits I am assured and this ground cannot deceiue me there is none of you that hath purchased any benefit in a good conscience but ye will thanke God for it for a good conscience will neuer shake off the memory of God altogether So when ye forget to thanke God it is an euident argument that the benefit is purchased in an euill conscience For the which cause the curse of God is hanging ouer your riches Which appeareth either in your time or suppose the Lord be long-suffering in your posteritie Then to testifie that the benefits are well come by be thankfull to God for them and purchase nothing but that whereof ye haue a sure warrant in your conscience Now the third thing that I am mooued to marke I say this letteth vs see the horrible arrogancy of the Papists who thinke that they can not onely be thankfull for his benefits in word but also they are able to do him one good turne for another in deede and when after their maÌ„ner they haue satisfied him they make a superplus which they call works of supererogaâ—ion Those their works of supererogation are a superlatiue follie and madnesse which cannot be expressed that whereas the best seruants of God found in experience that by word they were not able to satisfie him they thinke by their deeds to satisfie his infinite goodnesse But I leaue them and go forward He sheweth in the next words the greatnesse of the benefit and he taketh it vp briefly vnder two words after this manner He hath said it and himselfe hath done it he said it in his promise he did it in keeping of his promise he both said and did it himselfe that the whole glorie of the worke might appertaine to him he said it freely for I procured the contrary he kept it as freely for the Lord is true suppose all the world be false Ye see how properly he taketh vp vnder these two words the mercie and truth of God the mercie of God in promising the truth of God in keeping and peâ—forming of his promises The mercy of God in promising freely for he is debter to no man and therefore whatsoeuer he promiseth he promiseth freely for there is none of vs can make claime to any better condition then the naturall branches might haue made claime to and if ye list to reade of their naturall inclination ye haue many places of Scripture and in speciall I send you to Deuter. 32. Exod. 32. Isaiah 48. For there speaking of the Iewes the Lord saith I foreknew thy stubbornnesse I saw the sinewes of thy necke were of brasse and thy face of yron I foresaw that thou wouldst remaine false and vnfaithfull yet notwithstanding I made my promise freely vnto thee and as freely as I made it I kept it as feely It is I it is I saith he in the 43. of Isaiah that putteth away thine iniquities it is I that for mine owne name sake calleth not thy sinnes to memorie If this be true in the naturall branches how much more is it true in vs Then we haue nothing to lay betwixt vs the iudgements of God but his mercie freely offered vs in the bloud of Christ Iesus It is God saith he that hath done this As if he would say all the rest are lyars onely God is true and ere he faile in one iot of that he saith he is able to make the world turne vpside downe and to inuert the order of nature as ye may see in the former part of the Chapter in bringing backe of the Sunne by ten degrees And therefore this teacheth vs that there lacketh not in God neither a power nor a will onely on our part there lacketh an hand an instrument to receiue and belieue the promises And therefore suppose there be carts full of promises and as sure promises that there can be nothing surer it is not possible that these promises can auaile any thing except the Spirit prepare a way for himselfe except the Lord create in the soule faith Therefore all your care and diligence should stand in this to craue that with the hearing of the word the Lord would conioyne the working of his Spirit that faith being wrought and the heart being opened fully we may leane and repose stedfastly on the faithfull promises of God In the end of the verse he sheweth a blessed and happie effect which issued out of this notable benefit he saith I shall henceforth all the rest of my yeares walke ouerpassing the bitternesse of my soule As if he would say by this benefit the griefe of my conscience and the terrors and troubles of my soule are remoued He maketh no mention of the rest of the benefits of the health of his bodie of his sure and prosperous estate which was both promised and giuen vnto him But he touched that which troubled him most the griefe of his conscience was the thing that troubled him most and therefore he maketh mention onely of it This bitternesse made such a deepe impression
Sunne whereof ye heard and heauen and earth shall perish ere a iot of his promise faile Yet notwithstanding this is true that there is such a constancie and fidelitie in him all these promises will not auaile vs except the Lord prepare our hearts yea except he sanctifie our hearts by meanes of faith that in our soules we may see this truth we shall neuer regard it and except he giue vs a heart to apply this truth all the promises which he hath made and is to make serue for no vse to vs. Therefore it is the dutie of all Christians to be instant in crauing that the Lord would prepare their hearts by faith that seeing him in their minds and feeling him in their hearts they may find his mercie and truth and repose in them for euer After this we entred into the recommendation of the word of God and generally we praysed the word from this that we haue the benefit of this temporall life by it as this is true in generall so he goeth forward and praiseth the word from his owne experience in particular and he granteth that not onely he hath the benefit of this temporall life by the word but of the spirituall also And as he hath the life whereby he liueth in his body by it so he hath by it the life whereby he liueth in the soule For as there is a life and death of the bodie so there is a life and death of the soule The life of the bodie may be conioyned well with the death of the soule for we may liue in the bodie and be dead in the soule at one time Also the death of the bodie may stand with the life of the soule for we may depart from this life and go to a better The life of the bodie standeth in the presence of the soule but the life of the soule standeth in the presence of the Spirit of life except our soules be borne anew againe by the vertue of that Spirit of life it is not possible that we can see God and taste of his ioy For by nature we are not onely hurt lame maimed but altogeâ—her dead in sinne so that looke how voide a corps is of a naturall life as voide are we of a heauenly and spirituall life The reason is this where death hath place there life must be wholly put out But by nature death hath place in vs therefore the spiâ—ituall life must be wholly put out If the Spiâ—it of life be wholly put out there remaineth not so much as a breath out of the which any good cogitations or actions may proceede If so be there is not so much as one breath where is all that free-will of the Papists where is that integritie which remaineth in the filthie nature Then I say we naturally remaine in the death of bodie and soule still vntill that by the paâ—ticipation of the Spirit of life which dwelleth in the bodie of Christ vntill I say that this Spirit free vs from sin and death And so vntill this time we shall neuer mount aboue the clouds nor see the face of God And therefore as I exhorted you the last day so I insist in the same exhortation now that euery one of you marke and perceiue your selues whether you haue such a life begun in you or not I gaue you three effects which will neuer deceiue you The first is if ye find your selues refreshed and recreate in your spirits from the terrours of your conscience and the feare of sinne which recreation and refreshment of the spirit is called that peace that passeth all vnderstanding whereof the world is ignorant he that findeth any of this if it were neuer so little within him no question he hath this life begun in him and the more this peace is augmented the more the life groweth But this peace groweth by remoouing of sinne Therefore our whole studie should be to remooue sinne for the onely thing that troubleth the conscience is sinne Take away sinne the conscience shall be at rest Wherefore this was the chiefe effect I willed you to take heede vnto The second effect is ioy and reioycing vnder trouble For we see trouble of the owne nature bringeth not foorth this effect but rather bringeth foorth sorrow heauinesse and lamentation Then when our spirit is so disposed that vnder trouble we reioyce and glorie in it this is the Spirit of life This ioy is not in all troubles it is not in the trouble which we procure but onely in the trouble which we sustaine for righteousnesse sake and which we sustaine for Christ his sake The third effect is if ye haue a loue of God and good men and a hatred of euill where these effects are in any measure no doubt but the Spirit of life is there As by the contrary where there is a loue of wicked and euill men no question let them speake of Christ as they will the spirit of the diuell hath full dominion This Spirit of life we shew was entertained by nourishing of the knowledge of God when we edifie our selues in our most holy faith when we nourish the exercise of prayer As by the contrary the Spirit is put out when by our euill doings we put out the knowledge of God when we diminish our perswasion of his mercie in Christ fall from the exercise of prayer Then ye that haue this life begunne nourish it by well doing for by well doing no question our faith is corroborate Delight therefore in well doing sow in the Spirit and not in the flesh run not with the thiefe nor consent not with the murtherer for so ye shall be participant of their punishment but sow in the Spirit and of this ye shall reape an euerlasting and comfortable life where otherwise of sinne ye shall reape nothing but shame and euerlasting condemnation I haue discoursed long on this head because it is very necessarie and I would wish you to consider of these things Thinke on the great benefits of God granted vnto this countrey Thinke againe vpon our ingratitude and vnnaturall behauiour There is no Christian that will weigh these two in one ballance but he shall conclude that it is wonderfull why the Lord suffereth iniquitie in this countrey so long to be vnpunished Formerly when there was but crums of the bread of life they ran to seeke it so that they compassed both sea and land and spared neither trauell nor cost to be ingrafted into the kingdome of Christ But now when there is plentie of it we haue taken such a lothsomnesse thereof that we abuse the liberalitie of God offered to vs and turne his grace and mercie into vengeance on our owne heads For as to the multitude ye see that they haue alreadie preferred the leauen of the Pharises and gone to mumchances mumries and vnknowne language wherein they pudled before As to the noble and gentlemen they are so drunken with sacriledge that rather then they will render these goods
light This spirituall light is so proper to the Church that it discerneth her from all false Churches vpon the face of the earth for as the Apostle saith Faith which is no other thing but this light appertaineth not vnto all but this gift of iustifying faith is nothing else but that very light which is giuen to those who before all eternitie were appointed for saluation This speciall reuelation is not obtayned or purchased by any naturall force for so it were common to all men It is not purchased by naturall wit or vnderstanding for the wisdome of this world cannot know those things that are of God Yea the wisedome of the world is the greatest enemie to the wisedome of God and the wit of the world esteemeth the wit of God to be plaine foolishnesse This light is not gotten by the sight of the works of God or by looking vpon this great Vniuerse we get a light indeed by looking on the works of God but this light conueigheth vs not a far off we lose it in the threshold in the very entrie it is choked by our affections and the vile appetites that are in vs do choke it Now we get not this supernaturall light onely by the outward ministerie of the word no seuer me the Spirit from the word the word is nothing else but a minister of death to my soule and a slaying letter it serueth for nothing but to be a further testimonie of my iust condemnation Therefore this heauenly light whereby we are made heires of heauen and the children of God is purchased by the word and Spirit of God ioynctly By the word striking and piercing the eare outwardly and the Spirit penetrating the heart inwardly So where these two are conioyned that heauenly light is wrought and it is an earnest-pennie of thy euerlasting saluation Of this light and reuelation it cometh to passe that God is well knowne in Iudah that is in his owne Church and of this knowledge it cometh to passe that his Name is great in Israel that is his praise is highly extolled and his name renowmed among all them that know him rightly By the Name of God is vnderstood God himselfe as he maketh himselfe knowne in the wonderful works which he worketh as when he hath mercie on his Church he is called a mercifull God when he keepeth his promises he is called a true God when he deliuereth her mightily he is called a potent God And so as many works as he worketh so many Names he hath Now of this reuelation cometh the knowledge of God For except the Spirit of God take away the ignorance of our hearts it is as impossible for me to know God rightly as the dumbe element Except this veile of ignorance which sticketh so fast vnto our hearts be taken off that in time the mighty power of God may be reuerenced there remaineth no further sight then serueth vnto our eternall condemnation Therefore the Spirit must concurre mightily to take off this veile of ignorance that our hearts and minds being renewed we may begin to be new creatures in Christ Iesus Of this knowledge it cometh to passe that God is reuerenced and his praises are sounded for it is impossible that these who know God aright but they must praise him and reuerence his Name God is not like the great men of this countrey for they where they are best knowne there are worst loued But God by the contrary where he is best knowne he is best loued And this loue of God can neuer be idle but it must burst foorth into his praises So these two are ioyned together the Spirit of God bringeth knowledge which knowledge is helpefull to faith and true faith euer praiseth God Then examine your knowledge from the effect the praise of God and see whether the knowledge of God be in this countrey or not This conclusion must hold fast where God is highly praised he is well knowne and the contrary must hold as fast where God is no waies praised he is not knowne there Assume now But so it is that he is no waies praised in this countrey Therefore he was neuer well knowne of vs his goodnesse and mercie was neuer well tasted of vs. And surely if multitude of benefits or multitude of miracles might haue made God knowne to vs we haue had our large part Yea to omit all the rest I thinke though there were no more but this deliuerie past it is a sufficient argument to mooue the hearts of all creatures to praise his name But such is our horrible ingratitude that for lacke of praise we bring not onely a curse vpon the benefit but a curse vpon our owne persons And therefore mine exhortation is now as then That with such hearts as the Lord hath giuen vs we be readie to sound his praise for this great deliuerie the thankfull memorie of this last benefit shall be the readie way to purchase the next therefore with thankfull hearts let vs praise him And where they are not so disposed as the worthinesse of the benefit requireth let vs beg mercie for our euill disposed hearts let vs desire pardon for our vnprepared hearts and wish that it would please the Lord to sanctifie them further and further to his owne praises that being couered with his mercifull protection we may at all times rest vnder his wings and sauegard so that we shall be sure to assaile the enemy when he pleaseth Thus farre for the first benefit The second benefit wherein the Lord shewed himselfe gracious toward his people is this he made his residence with this people which he did with no other nation of the earth he taketh his abiding at Shalem as the tokens and ensignes of his presence did testifie God maketh his residence with no sort of people in the earth but with his Church he hath espied out and select to himselfe a people among all the nations of the earth and with them he hath made his residence It is no strange language to say that God hath chosen a people to himselfe and doth make his residence with such a people For albeit the maiestie of God fill and replenish both heauen and earth and his power reach euery where yet is it as true our God dwelleth euery where he hath selected a sort of people a number of persons with whom he maketh his residence And among all nations he selected this nation of the Iewes vnto whom he gaue the visible ensignes of his presence and in whose hearts he dwelt Now it hath pleased him in mercie to translate his Tabernacle to make his residence with vs and he hath chosen a few of the hearts of this countrey where he hath begun his dwelling place for God dwelleth now in the hearts and consciences of his owne by his holy Spirit and surely so he hath dwelt with vs these 30. yeares and in such puritie that he hath not done the like with any nation in the earth He hath
sweetnesse whereby I find his wrath pacified I find his furie pacified And were not this taste of mercie I would neuer turne vnto him But from the time that mine heart getteth a taste of his mercy a taste of that peace that passeth all vnderstanding wherby I find his wrath to be pacified the terrors of my conscience to be quieted the fire of his wrath to be quenched then I begin to turne to him to beleeue in him and to apply the promise of mercie in particular to my selfe which I durst in no wise do so long as I felt nothing but the fire of his wrath vpon my conscience Vpon this feeling I say ariseth the application and vpon the application riseth the turning vnto him So this feeling of wrath in order although not in time goeth before the turning vnto God The turning bringeth forth a ioy and gladnesse for mercy that he hath gotten this ioy bringeth forth a loue toward him As the other part bringeth forth an hatred of sin so this part bringeth forth a loue toward God This loue againe bringeth forth a care and studie to please him and this care and studie bringeth forth an appetite of reuenge and indignation against thy corruption so that thou wouldest be reuenged vpon thy corruption which made thee to sinne and offend against him And this part of repentance in respect of the great and manifold effects of it is called Viuification As the other part is called mortification so is this called viuification in respect the Spirit of God maketh a new creation in vs maketh vs vp as new creatures of old endeweth our hearts with new affections our soules with new qualities bringeth forth in vs liuing motions actions and cogitations which are called liuing because as they proceed from a liuing Spirit so they carie vs to life euerlasting They are called also liuing in respect of those dead actions which we brought forth in former times which were called dead not onely in respect that they flowed from the flesh that is from corruption but because they caried vs vnto the death of body and soule In this respect I call this part viuification others call it confession and it getteth this name in respect the soule that is quickned cannot but burst forth into the praise of God and glorifie him with a confession he cannot conceale the kindnesse of God done vnto him but he will confesse it before the world and proclaime the riches of the mercy of God that they may glorifie a common God and Father with him And this confession is the chiefest thing in the earth which the diuell endeuoureth most diligently to stay For as there is nothing in the earth whereby God is glorified more then by a sincere confession so there is nothing in the earth that the diuell trauelleth more to stay then this confesson in respect he seeth God so farre glorified by it The Lord desireth not the death of a sinner he seeketh not the slaughter of his creature he seeketh but the repairing of his owne glory and this he counteth to be done by a sincere confession of thy sinne Therefore it is I say that the diuell laboureth to stay this confession And to hold them from this confession he casteth in the shame of the world the estimation before men this inconuenience that inconuenience For this ye may perceiue of his craft that where shame is and shame should be indeed when the action is in doing there he maketh vs bold and stout But where no shame is and no shame can follow of it where God should be glorified by a confession his Church edified and men moued through their example to do the like there he casteth in shame and maketh them beleeue it is the most shamefull thing that euer they did and all this that the soule should not be saued but holden drowned in his snare for euer and euer Therefore men would be aduertised of this that they be not ashamed to glorifie God with an open confession As they are not ashamed to sinne publikely so they should not be ashamed to confesse it as publikely that God may be glorified Remember this This is not spoken for this Noble mans cause onely It is spoken for euery one of you that are in inferiour ranks that euery one of you may confesse your owne sinnes And seeing this is the craft of the diuell by the holding you backe that ye may damne your soules be ye as careful to win your soules by confessing your sinnes to the world The confession of Dauid Psal. 51. serueth it to his shame or to his honour No of all the deedes that euer he did it is counted in all ages the most notable and honorable deede So let not the diuell deceiue men in this poynt As to the kinde of repentance which proceedeth of desperation it is nothing woâ—th it turneth not the heart nor the minde but this repenâ—ance which turneth the hearts of men proceedeth of the Spirit of Christ. So it is the Spirit of Christ that is the worker of this true dolor and conuersion As to the instruments which he vseth in working of it they are two First the Law next the Gospell He must first bring in the Law to bring vs to the acknowledging of our sinne For except the Law did threaten vs we would neuer come to the knowledge of our sinnes Then next he bringeth in the Gospell the promises of mercy and grace freely offered in Christ and through Christ to all them that beleeue So the Gospell cometh in the second roome By the Gospel he worketh faith after he hath wrought faith he draweth out exhortations out of the Law and out of the Gospell that according to the Law we may conforme our liues and obey the same in all time to come So the Law and the Gospell are the means whereby repentance is wrought in the soule of man exhortations out of the Law and Gospell are the meanes whereby a good life and conuersation is continued among men As to the Author he letteth vs see that this gift groweth not in our owne breasts nor it proceedeth not of our selues nor from any creature in heauen or earth but from God onely it is the gift of God giuen freely for Christ Iesus his sake For ye may consider with your selues and looke how impossible it was to make our selues the sonnes of men far more impossible it is for vs to make our selues the sons of God And by repentance we are made the children of God companions to the Angels and sonnes of light So that the second creation which is wrought in vs by the Spirit of repentance is a farre more great and excellent worke then our first creation in this world In this part of repentance whereby we are assured of the mercy of God as there is a caution in the other part to be obserued so there is a caution here to be taken heed of for our nature
not an interpreter of these words but a peruerter of them Next to see if the meaning be right he must confer theÌ„ with other parts places of the Scripture see how it agreeth with the analogy of faith And if he finde any harmony there is no doubt but the sence is true The third thing that he must do he must take heed how the words are placed in what order they come in what relation they haue to the things that go before and also how they are fastened with the things that follow But he that would interprete truly must chiefly take heede to the Scriptures for all true interpretations must be sought out of the Scriptures for seeing that all truth is contained in the Scriptures there can be no true interpretation but that which floweth from thence Men should not be leaned to where they want Scriptures for no man should vse a lie to interpret a truth and the words of men without Scripture are onely lyes and vanities Also if the interpreter would be sensible as he ought and should be of force he must vse Scripture he must conferre place with place and that thing which he findeth obscurely spoken in one place he wil finde it more clearely spoken in another So many Scriptures are necessary and he that would interprete truely must haue many Scriptures in his memory Therefore we should pray for holy memories for our old memories wil not keep these things they must be sanctified memoryes that shall keep holy things As he must be a faithtull interpreter so he must be a skilfull applier for he must Deuide the word aright It is not ynough that he apply except he apply it also skilfully So application is necessary skilful applicatioÌ„ I say is necessary As it is not possible that we can feede vpon food except it be applied to our mouth as little is it possible that our soules can feede except the food of them be applyed Indeed things would be applyed skilfully for as if the foode be applied to any other part but the mouth the application serueth not euen so it is in spirituall things if they be not applied to the right parts and to the right diseases the applicatioÌ„ may do them more euill then good Therefore it is necessary that he who would do the part of a skilfull applyer do know the faults and diseases of his flocke which is not possible to be done in this Towne except it were deuided into parishes that euery one might haue a reasonable number to come to him that he were acquainted with and accustomed with their manners and behauiour This application is a chiefe point of the Pastors office for there is no edifying beside it there is no obedieÌ„ce to God but by it And therefore as by interpretation he informeth the mind and maketh it to vnderstand what he should do what he should leaue vndone So by application he should subdue the will that it may giue obedience and follow the vnderstanding Then in a word we see that the gift of gouernment and the gift of exhortation are necessarily requisite to be in a Pastor in some measure in such sort that he canot be a Pastor except he haue a part of both these gifts as I haue said in some measure And therefore ye haue to take heede to your admission in admitting of yong men ye should see how they haue profited in both thesâ— gifts And that act which was made in the last prouinciall assembly would be taken heede to that none be placed in this office except he haue learned by time the gift of gouernment together with the gift of teaching in some measure And as for application it is so necessary if it were no more but to turne ouer the very words of the text vpon the Auditory it must not be left yea and the nearer that we go to Gods word the application is so much the better for his word must euer haue a greater force with it then any other word And when the people heare that God speaketh and not man it striketh a great reuerence in the hearts of the auditory And so much the more when we consider the worthinesse and dignity of the subiect whereupon we ought to take these paines and are to intreate The Apostle calleth it here the word of truth The more notable that any subiect is it would be so much the more wisely handled And we haue not such a notable subiect as this for there is not a subiect that hath these epithetes to be called sound wholesome holy and true but this And beside this there is neither health soundnesse truth nor holinesse Therefore we should not choppe nor change with the word as if it were a vaine word but with great humility it would be handled But who is able to do these things or to answer to the meanest part of them These things craue an exact diligence a singular care and a painefull trauell They are not purchased by sluggishnes they will not giue vs leaue to employ our selues else-where but they take the whole man yea the whole thing that he may do if it were more And therefore in respect of this the Apostle vseth the word Study shewing vs that these things are not gotten without study that is without an earnest care and great diligence All things whereunto a Pastor should study may be taken vp in two words In faith and in a good conscience Study we for these two there is no doubt but we shall take heede both to our selues and to our office And these two we cannot keep except we study for the third also which is the keeper of all the rest to wit the holy Spirit We must study to entertaine and nourish him and this is done chiefly by praying in the holy Spirit Therefore we should be acquainted with prayer and be instant in it that the Lord would not withdraw his holy Spirit from vs but rather increase the power thereof from day to day that we might finde by experience and by a sensible feeling the truth of his heauenly promises within our selues and speciallie of that promise of life euerlasting To the which life Christ Iesus that great Pastor of the sheepe who gaue his life for his flocke bring vs. To whom with the Father and the holy Spirit be all honor praise and glory for euer and euer Amen FINIS The heads to be intreated of in this Sermon Definition of conscience with the exposition of the parts thereof To what vses the Lord hath appointed the conscience to serue in the soule of man Application Certaine lessons to be learned by which a man may preserue healâ—h in his soule conscience In what points we should examine our consciences How faith is created in our soules A similitude of the apprehension of the corporall foode to illustrate the spirituall How faith is nourished entertained in vs. Conclusion with an exhortation How a sincere faith is knowne A man renouncing
himselfe is neuer disappointed of his expectation Exhortation Faith is the free gift of God Certaine effects whereby we may know if we haue faith Our faith must be coÌ„tinually nourished because it is ioyned with doubting Doubting faith may lodge in one soule 1 Cor. 4. A doubting and weake faith is faith and shall neuer decay The spaâ—kles of faith though they be smothered they are not wholly put out nor are idle Similitudes shewing that the sparkles of faith though they be couered are not extinguished A sure retreat to repose on in highest tentations A lesson Of loue which is the secoÌ„d point of our triall How the word loue is taken in the Scripture The definition of loue Of our loue toward God Of loue towards our neighbour Conclusion with an exhortation The diuerse taking of the word Sacrament Ephes. 3.9 Ephes. 5.32 The heads to be entreated of in this Sermon 1. The signes in the SacrameÌ„t Why they are called signes 2. What is the thing signified in the Sacrament Question Answer The thing signified must be applyed How the signe the thing signified are ioyned together This coniunction is made cleare by the coniunction betwixt the word and the thing signified thereby How the signe and the thing signified are giuen and receiued Considerations thereof The signe the thing signified are offered in two actions by two instruments and after two manners Of the other part of the Sacrament which is the word Anâ—wer 1. By the Sacrament we possesse Christ more fully then by the simple word 2. They serue to confirme the truth contained in the word Exhortation Faults whiâ—h peruert the Sacrament Conclusion with an exhortation Of the Supper of the Lord in particular Heads to be intreated of First head generall Of the names giuen vnto this SacrameÌ„t both in the Bible and by the Ancients Second head generall Of the ends why this Sacrament was instituted Third head generall Of the things contained in this SacrameÌ„t outward and inward wherin sundry heads are intreated The thing signified in both the Sacraments is one the signs are not one Why in Baptisme there is but one signe and in the Lords Supper two Two questions What power the bread hath to be a signe in this Sacrament And how long that power endureth 1. Answer That bread hath that power from Christs institution 2. Answer That power continues during the seruice of the Table An obseruation How the signes the thing signified are coÌ„ioyned in the Sacrament How the signe and the thâ—ng signified iâ— receiued What kinde of receiuing Christ is established in the Sacrament Inconueniences cast in by the Papisâ—s against the spirituall â—eceiuing of Christ in the Sacrament First inconuenience That the Sacrament is supeâ—fluous Refutation of the first Inconuenience Second incoÌ„uenience Refutation of the second inconuenience obiected wherein are sundrie reasons giuen why the wicked are counted guiltie of the body and bloud of Christ. Exhortation Third inconuenience Refutation of the third inconuenience How the soule is said to eate the body and drinke the bloud of Christ. Obseruation Faith is that which couples vs and Christ. Similitude taken from the Sunne Conclusion with an exhortation How we are said to eate the flesh and drinke the bloud of Christ. Our vnion with Christ by one and the same Spirit Exhortation The definition of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper Why this Sacrâ—ment is called a Seale Why it is called an holy Seale Why the seale is said to be annexed to the couenant Why the Sacrament should be ministred publikely First reason Second reasoÌ„ Why this seale must be ministred according to Christ his institution None hath power to institute a Sacrament but God onâ—ly We call the word in the Sacrament the whole institution Word and element must concurre in the constitution of a Sacrament What we meane by the word in the Sacrament What the Papists vnderstand by the word in the SacrameÌ„t The third head in controuersie How the elements are sanctified The word of blessing and thankâ—giuing vsed indifferently expressed by the other How the Papists sanctifie the outward Elements Refutation of the doctrine transubstantiation by three sorts of arguments The first sort of argument Second sort of argument Third sort of argument Other arguments vnto the same effect Their last râ—fuge The reason that moues the Papists to thinke thâ—t Christs body cannot be present in the Sacrament except it be really carnally and substaÌ„tially present Obseruation The diuerse opinions coÌ„cerning the presence of the body of Christ in the Saâ—rament How a thing is said to be present and absent How the bodie of Christ is present The last point in controuersie betwixt vs and the Papists Conclusion with an exhortation Heads to be intreated in this Sermon First lesson Second lessoÌ„ The time when the King fell into this disease Obseruation Doctrine The Prophet visiteth the King and inioyneth two things to him The dutie of the Pastor toward his diseased brethren The first omission that appeareth to be in this denunciation The second omission The third omission The King behauiour in this disease The Kings behâ—uiour makes vs certaine of his faith and repentance The Kings gesture in his disease The words of his prayer Dan. 6.23 1. Cor. 4. A wonderfull thing to haue recourâ—e vnto the same God who smiteth â—esson Recapitulation Diâ—isâ—on First lesson 2. Lesson 3. Lesson Doctrine The circumstance of peace Third circumstance The comfort that the King receiued Why mention of Dauid is here made Why Dauid is called Hezechias Father What maketh vs the sonnes of God 1. Lesson 2. Lesson A fault to be eschued in Ionas person Application to the King A vertue to be followed in Esaiahs person Doctrine Application The points of the comfort that the King receiued Obseruation Application Obseruation Exhortation to the Kings Maiestie Recapitulation The heads of doctrine to be intreated of The cause why he sought a signe How the wicked seeke signes Some refuse signes when they are offered How the signe was shewed Why the signe was wrought in the diall Why it was wrought in the body of the Sunne What profite is to be gathered of signes By whose power this signe was wrought The force of prayer in procuring this signe Why the Lord willeth vs to pray Application The Kingâ— thankfulnes for the beneâ—ite receiued The parts of the Kings Song A short sum of the Kings life A Christians chiefe exercise The first part of the song The diuersity of seeking death in the wicked and godly The way to eschue the feare of death Application The reason why deaâ—h was grieuouâ— to him Application The second reaâ—on why death was grieuous to the King How God was said to be seene of old Application The third reaâ—on why death was grieuous to this King Applicatâ—on What is worthy of praise or reprofe in these reasons Conclusion with an exhortation Recapitulation The heads to be treated of in this SermoÌ„ The manner of the transportation of the