the creatures in the world is in God alone I might say of it that many haue conceaued it to be a powerfull name for the working of miracles and that thereby Christ and Moses haue done great wonders But my tongue shall never enlarge that which my soule abhorreth their braine-sicke superstitious and blasphemous inventions Yet sure there is some secret in this name It is plaine Exod. 6.3 where the Lord speaking vnto Moses saith I appeared vnto Abraham to Isaac and to Iacob by the name of a strong omnipotent all sufficient God but by my name IEHOVAH was I not knowne vnto them I vnfold this secret First it importeth the eternitie of Gods essence in himselfe that he is c Heb. 13.8 yesterday and to day and the same for ever d Apoc. 1.8 which was which is which is to come Againe it noteth the existence and perfection of all things in God as from whom all creatures in the world haue their e Act. 17.28 life motion being God is the being of all his creatures not that they are the same that he is but because f Rom. 11.36 of him in him and by him are all things And last of all it is the memoriall of God vnto all ages as himselfe calls it Exod. 3.15 the memoriall of his faithfulnesse his truth and his constancie in the performance of his promises And therefore whensoever in any of the Prophets God promiseth or threatneth any great matter to assure vs of the most certaine event of such his promise or threatning he addeth vnto it his name IEHOVAH In steed of this name IEHOVAH the most proper name of God the 70. haue ever put 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as doth our Apostle also in my text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a name of power well suiting with the liuing true and only God For he hath plenum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The power and authoritie he hath over all things is soveraigne and without controlement Hee that made the heavens and spread them out like a g Psal 104.2 curtaine to cloath himselfe with light as with a rayment he can againe h Esai 50.3 cloth the heavens with darknesse make a sacke their covering He that made the Sea to lay the i Psal 104 3. beames of his chamber therein and placed the k Ierem. 5.22 sands for bounds vnto it by a perpetuall decree not to be passed over howsoever the waues thereof shall rage and roare he can with a word l Iob. 26.12 smite the pride thereof At his rebuke the flouds shall be turned into a m Esai 50.2 wildernesse the Sea shall be dryed vp the fish shall rot for want of water and dye for thirst Hee that made the dry land and so n Psal 104.5 set it vpon foundations that it should never moue hee can cover her againe with the deepe as with a garment and so rocke her that o Psal 107.27 shee shall reele to and fro and stagger like a drunken man So powerfull a God may well be named from power 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the absolute LORD ruler and commander of all things This name of power 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vulgarly translated LORD is in the writings of the Apostles simply and absolutely ascribed vnto Christ if the p Zanch. de Attrib l. 1. c. 17. learned haue made a iust calculation 1000. times may serue for sufficient proofe of the Deitie of CHRIST For it imports thus much that CHRIST the q Heb. 1.3 engraved forme of his father sitting at the right hand of the maiestie in the highest places is together with the Father and the Holy Ghost the author and governor of all things and in a very speciall maner he is the heire of the house of God the mighty protector of the CHVRCH CHRIST the only begotten Son of God he is the LORD yet so that neither the Father nor the Holy Ghost are excluded frō dominion The Father is LORD and the Holy Ghost is LORD too For in all the workes of GOD ad extra as some call them each person of the TRINITIE hath his operation yet so that a common distinction be obserued For these workes of God so called ad extra doe admit a double consideration For either they are begunne extra divinas personas and ended in aliquâ personarum or else they are both begun and ended extra divinas personas The workes of God begun externally and perfected in some one of the persons what are they They are such as was the voice of the Father concerning Christ r Mat. 3.17 This is my beloued Sonne A voice formed by all three persons yet vttered only by the Father They are such as was that ſ Mat. 3.16 doue descending vpon Christ at his baptisme A doue fram'd by all three persons yet appropriate only vnto the Holy Ghost They are such as was the body and soule of CHRIST A body and soule created by all three persons yet assumed only by the Sonne of God This is that obvious and much vsed distinction in schoole divinitie Inchoatiuè Terminatiuè For if wee respect the beginning of these workes they are the workes of the whole TRINITIE common vnto all but respect we their perfection and en◠they are no more common but hypostaticall and personall for so the voice is the Fathers alone the doue is the Holy Ghosts alone the reasonable soule and humane flesh are the Sonnes only Besides these there are other workes of God as begunne so ended also extra personas and they are of two sorts either supernaturall such I call the miraculous workes of God or naturall such as are the creation of the world the preservation of the same and the government of it And all these workes of which kind soever whether miraculous or workes of nature they are common to the whole TRINITIE The Father worketh the Sonne worketh and the Holy Ghost worketh as in doing of wonders so in creating all things in preseruing all things in governing all things wherevpon followeth that which I mentioned that not only the Sonne is LORD but the Father is LORD and the Holy Ghost is LORD also Yet must I adde that this name of power 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or LORD is most often and very specially giuen vnto Christ for that hee hath receaued of God the Father absolute soveraigntie over all creatures in Heaven in earth and in the waters to doe with them all as him listeth which his soveraigntie hee hath obtained in as much as being made man and hauing dyed for vs and for the sinnes of the whole world hee is become the mediatour of the new covenant In which sense the Apostle in my text calleth him the LORD the LORD who shall iudge his people For the Father iudgeth no man but hath cōmitted all iudgement vnto the Sonne so Christ himselfe told the Iews Ioh. 5.22 Thus far of him that shall iudge
farre hath this boldnesse thrust it selfe as that now bee there any talke of Divinitie it is thought but a small matter for such whose neckes are as sinewes of Iron and browes like brasse I meane for carelesse hearts and venterous tongues to be vp with predestination or the Sinne against the holy Ghost To such what shall I say Even as one said in the like case it were better for them they had neither tongues in their heads nor hearts in their breasts then that they should delight in their so vnreverent and vngodly vsage For hereby what doe they else but blaspheme the eternall wisdome of God It is a faithfull lesson for servants to be obedient to them that are their masters according to the flesh in feare trembling you may find it Eph. 6.5 And shall we servants to that great LORD our master according to the spirit when we enter talke of his word not feare shall we not tremble shall we at his greatest mysteries be carelesse mockers The knowledge of Gods predestination should cast downe our proud reason even to the ground it should make vs confesse before him that all his doings are secret all his iudgements vnsearchable all his waies past finding out yet we like fooles vnwilling though wee should bee brayed in a morter to let our foolishnesse depart from vs doubt not at all to examine the high iudgements of God as if they were pliable to our foolish reason And so likewise the Sin against the holy Ghost is mentioned to make vs feare to work in vs the feare of the LORD which is as a well-spring of life to free vs from all the snares of death to make vs loue the LORD learne al his iudgemeÌ„ts to assure vs so farre of his favour as that we cannot possibly sinne against his spirit yet we as discontent herewith put all feare apart make no end of questioning whether the Sin against the holy Ghost be this sinne or that sinne when God knoweth at al sinnes we make but a iest Iustly may we feare lest God say to vs as once he said to the wicked Psal 50.16 Quid tuâ vt enarres decreta mea Gods ordinances being holy pure should not come into mouthes given to filthinesse With what face then dare men of vncircumcised mindes and mouthes medle with such holy mysteries either publikely or privatly Quid tuâ vt enarres decreta mea What hast thou to doe to declare mine ordinances Doth it belong to thee to take my covenant in thy mouth saith the Lord. You see how farre too much boldnesse carieth vs headlong The other fault I spake of was too much feare Some there are and they none of the worst of vs who by the singular mercies of God haue so beene humbled as that they cover their faces and hang downe their heads at the remeÌ„brance of their sinnes To such every sound of the Sin against the holy Ghost is a piercing of their hearts they stop their ears at the name of it they would not haue it spoken of at all for feare lest themselues should bee holden in the transgression In which their opinion they seeme to accord with those who hold of predestination and election that they are matters not to be thought of too high for mans learning Which conceite was first founded in the forge of a Popish braine thence hath beene derived to vs. Hence sprang that their comfortlesse lesson hope well and haue well and that their assertion leading vnto wilfull blindnesse it is not the dutie of a man to knowe his election In the 2. to the Corinth 135. it is thus written Proue your selues whether yee are in the faith examine your selues knowe yee not your owne selues how that Iesus Christ is in you except yee bee reprobates Consider the words Shall God here by his Apostle bid proue and dares man say doubt Shall God bid examine dares maÌ„ advise vs only to hope Shall the spirit of truth command vs to knowe our salvation and dares a lying spirit in the mouthes of false prophets account it presumption to knowe our salvation To this purpose is it that S. Iohn exhorteth you 1. Iohn 4.1 Trie the spirits whether they are of God or not As for those in whose eares the naming of this Sin against the holy Ghost soundeth harshly Christ hath said the summe of all that hath beene said c Luk. 12.32 Feare not my little flocke for it hath pleased your father to giue to you a kingdome not momentary but eternall purchased not with gold and silver but with the most precious bloud of his only sonne and therefore may yee well be assured that he will also giue you victory over sinne death This great and heinous Sinne bee it what it will let it never discourage you it cannot hurt you it is none of yours This sinne is the sinne of those that haue despised knowledge but like as the Hart desireth the water brooks so doe your soules thirst after more knowledge of the Lord. This sinne is the sinne of such as haue contemned the Crosse of Christ but the delight of your liues is therein This sinne is the sinne of such as haue made the world their God but your God with whoÌ„ yee walke in whose feare you liue hath had such mercy on you as that yee account all the world but dung to the end yee may winne Christ And therefore I say againe this great and heinous sin be it what it will let it never discourage you it cannot hurt you it is none of yours Wheresoever they dwell that haue thus sinned and are in this condemnation be of good comfort God himselfe beareth you witnesse that their tents and their tabernacles are not neere you Thus haue wee beene warned touching Gods holy mysteries that we be neither too bold nor too fearefull let vs now walking in the midst betweene both betweene feare boldnesse drawe neere with reverence and with glad and faithfull eares abide we the hearing of this sinne let vs not bee so foolish either to feare the smoake since the fire cannot hurt vs or to wade too farre since the depth may devoure vs. Now then not to trouble you long with those d Desperatio Praesumptio Impoenitentia Obâ—tinatio Impugnatio â—eritatis agnitae Invidia gratiae fraternae Angelus del Pas â—nchirid Scholast Theolog. Sect. 2. lib. 2. c. 1. p. 56. six kindes of sinnes against the holy Ghost much spoken of by the Schoolemen as namely presumption of Gods mercies and Despaire coÌ„trary to presumption and the Oppugning of the known truth the Envying of all the good gifts and graces in our brethren and Obstinacie Impenitencie let it bee sufficient for vs to vnderstand that in the word of God there is mention of one onely sinne so called In Mat. 12.31 as also in Mark 3.29 and Luke 12.10 it is called the blasphemie against the holy Ghost You shall finde it at large described if
with these words of my text you will conferre those other places as Heb. 6.4 5. 2. Pet. 2.20 1. Ioh. 5.16 All which will manifest that there is but one only Sinne against the holy Ghost As for the repining at our brethrens good being but a breach of the second table touching the presuming vpon Gods mercies being but a kind of hypocrisie I see not how they may bee called Sinnes against the holy Ghost The other foure indeed haue some reference to this Sinne. The falling away from the knowne truth and obstinacie are in the nature of this sinne finall impenitencie is a consequent a punishment of it and so is despaire And here because there goes somewhat a generall conceit that despaire indeed is the Sin against the holy Ghost let me shew you some differēce between that Sinne and despaire This Sinne against the holy Ghost is a blasphemie spoken against the knowne truth so is not desperation though sometimes it be a punishment of this sinne This Sinne against the holy Ghost bringeth with it finall impenitencie it shall bee impossible for such a sinner to repent so is it not in desperation A despairing mā may repent This Sinne against the holy Ghost is a deniall of Christ arising from a set a wilfull and an obstinate malice so is not desperation for it may arise either through ignorance of a mans owne estate or through horror of conscience for sinnes committed or through an often relapse into some sinne or through a serious consideration of our owne vnworthines or by abiuratiō of the truth through compulsion and feare The summe of all is the sinne against the holy Ghost is a sinne of the Reprobate but Gods chosen children may fall into despaire For whose comfort let me adde a word or two It is a true saying God in some sense may be said to forsake his children Else why should DAVID say Psal 77.7 8 9. Will the Lord absent himselfe for ever Will he shew no more favour Is his mercie cleane gone for ever Doth his promise faile for evermore Hath God forgotten to be mercifull Hath he shut vp his tender mercies in displeasure Else why should IONAS say chap. 2.4 I am cast out of thy sight O Lord Else why should GEDEON say Iud. 6.13 Now the Lord hath forsaken vs and delivered vs into the hands of the Midianites Else why should the Saviour of vs all say Mat. 27.46 My God my God why hast thou forsaken me It is manifestly true God in some sense may be saide to forsake his children and thus it is God hides his graces for a time and covereth them even within his children he takes them not quite away only he removeth all sense and feeling of them so farre forth he forsaketh them The resemblaunce is vsually made by your trees in the winter season They are beaten with winde and weather they beare neither leafe nor fruit they looke as though they were rotten and dead The reason you know the sap lies hid in the root It is no new thing nor strāge to such as tread in the pathes of godlines to haue their soules like affected to those your trees The time of comfort will passe away tentation follow then is the winter for your soules then shall yea be as beaten with winde and weather as bearing neither leafe nor fruit and looke as though yea were rotten and dead The reason is plaine Gods graces do lie hidden and covered for a time within the closets of your hearts But as your trees do spring againe and beare both leafe and fruit receiving comfort of a better season so shall you You shall be restored God will turne your mourning into ioy God will loose your sacke God will gird you with gladnesse Here may we learne this lesson Cuncta dei opera sunt in medijs contrarijs it is Gods vse in and by one contrary to worke another A man would thinke that an infinite host of enemies could not be overcommed without an exceeding great multitude But it was the Lords doing Gedeon with his three hundred souldiers put to flight such an host Iud. 7.21 A man would thinke that clay and spittle tempered together should put out ones eies Wonderfull are the Lords doings Christ vsed clay spittle so tempered as a meanes to giue sight vnto the blinde Ioh. 9.6 A mā would thinke water should put out fire Behold the finger of the Lord Elias poures water on his sacrifice and fils a trench with water to make his sacrifice burne 1. King 18.35 The like you may obserue in the worke of Grace to salvation A man living long in security hath at length his eies opened to see his sinnes and heart touched to feele the intolerable burdē of them now he bewailes his wretched estate with anguish with bitternes of heart thinkes that God will presently make him a firebrand of hell see how by this contrary the contrary is wrought The Lord is now about to worke and frame in his heart sanctification and such repentance as never needs to be repented of A man that hath had some good perswasion of Gods favor in Christ comes now at last vpon many occasions to be troubled and to be overwhelmed with distrustfulnesse grievous doubtings of his salvation Now he iudgeth himselfe to haue beene but an hypocrite in former times for the present time he thinkes himselfe a castaway and see here how by this contrarie the contrary is wrought For now indeed the Lord doth nothing else but exercise fashion and increase his weake faith Cuncta Dei opera sunt in medijs contrarijs The graces of God peculiar to the elect are begun increased and made manifest in or by their contraries And therefore if any whose delight hath heretofore seemed to haue beene in the Law of the Lord shall despaire at his end we must for so we learne in this place leaving secret iudgements to God in charity iudge the best of them We must not weigh their speaches for men in such cases speake not as they are but as they feele themselues to be We must rather looke vnto God who at all times especially in temptations such are his mercies accepts the will for the deed a willing mind to obey God for faithfull obedience a willing minde to repent their sinnefull liues for perfect repentance But happyly some will doubt if a man in despaire make a way himselfe if he spill his owne bloud what may then bee thought The case I graunt is very fearefull yet still must we cary the same opiniō For if Gods iudgements are very secret if for any thing we know a man may repent in the very agony if none of vs be able to comprehend the bottomles depth of the graces and mercies which are in Christ we shoulde not dare passing the bounds of charity giue too rash a censure but rather pray in the spirit that God come not vpon vs with the like visitation Thus haue we
seene the difference betweene despaire the Sinne against the holy Ghost as also what cōfort what ioy may from thence shine vnto feeble and weake spirits Now seeke we farther into this sinne Let vs first consider what manner of rebellion it is Secondly in what regard it is so named Thirdly what obiect it hath The manner of rebellion namely how farre they fall awaie who haue fallen into this sinne we shall perceiue if we looke vnto the beginning of the sixt chapter of the Epistle to the Hebrewes There verse 1.2 the Apostle speaketh of repentance frō dead workes of faith towards God of the doctrine of baptisme laying on of hands of the resurrection from the dead and of eternall iudgement All these he calleth the beginning the foundation of Christianity Then verse the 6. he speaketh of an apostacie of a falling away from all these points even from the foundatiō and first beginnings of Christian faith giving vs thereby to vnderstand that they who are holden in this transgressiō haue sinned this sinne haue forsaken all the principles of religiō haue lost their former light haue departed from their first vnderstāding As for repentance they cast it behinde them and the first faith they regard it not they esteeme baptisme no more then the washing of their hands neither care they to be received in to the Church of God the resurrection of the dead that feedes them with many a merry conceit they thinke pleasantly with thēselues what manner of bodies they shal haue of what age these their bodies shall be whether they shall haue haire and nailes and the like But the eternall iudgement the remembrance indeede thereof sometimes frighteth them yet are they incouraged againe when they think how farre of it is So preferre they darknesse before light ignorance before knowledge errour before hope infidelity before faith shame before glory a cursed death before eternall life They are fallen away from repentance and therefore impossible shall it be for them to repent they are fallen away from faith towards God and therefore never may they hope to beleeue againe they are fallen away from the doctrine of baptisme laying on of hands and therfore are they not likly any more by those meanes to be illuminated they are fallen away from the doctrine of resurrection and therefore though they rise againe it shall be to their owne confusion they are fallen away from the doctrine of eternal iudgement and therefore shall eternall iudgement swallow them vp It is no more but thus they haue fallen away wholy from CHRIST they haue despised the sweet graces of the HOLY SPIRIT wherewith they once were lightened and therefore shal they be fed with wormewood and be made to drinke the water of gall and not this only but let all the rivers and streames of fresh water which glad the city of God and comfort the soules of the faithfull runne also into their soules they will resist them and driue them backe they will admit no entrance for any perswasion of the graciousnes and kindnes of the Lord though it be preached a thousand times They haue sinned against the holie Ghost and condemnation is their portion You see in the manner of rebellion how farre they may fall away now for the name It is not called the Sinne against the holy Ghost as if it were against the Godhead of the holy Ghost for the same God is also father and sonne The godhead of the Father of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost is all one their glory is equal and their maiesty coeternall nor is it so called as if it were against the person of the holy Ghost for that is no greater then the person of the father and of the sonne The whole three persons are coeternall together and coequall Nunquid alia est offensa filij alia spiritûs sancti saith S. Ambrose De spiritu sancto Lib. 1. cap. 3. His answer is Sicut vna dignitas sic vna iniuria Can the holy Ghost bee grieved and the sonne well pleased No Sicut vna dignitas sic vna iniuria The Father Sonne and holy Ghost haue all one glory therefore an iniurie done to one is done to all Trium personarum non sunt divisae offensae saith the Master of the Sentences Lib. 2. Dist 43. art 4. It is impossible that a sinne committed against the holy Ghost should not also bee committed against the Father and against the Sonne yet saith he Peccatorum genera distincta sunt you may vse a distinction betweene sinnes where he sheweth that although power wisdome goodnesse be one and the same in all three persons yet sometimes in a more peculiar sort there is ascribed power to the father wisedome to the Sonne and goodnesse to the goly Ghost and hence ariseth this distinction of sinnes If a man sinne through infirmitie he may be said to sinne against the Father for in him is power he is the father of might If hee sinne through ignorance he may be said to sinne against the Sonne for in him is no want of knowledge he is the wisdome of the Father If he sin through wilfull malice hee may bee said to sinne against the holy Ghost for in him is all goodnesse his office is to sanctifie You see then why this Sinne is called the sinne against the holy Ghost not because it is against the Godhead of the holy Ghost nor yet because it is against the person of the holy Ghost but because it is against the goodnesse of the holy Ghost against the goodnesse that is against the graces of the holy spirit given vs to the setting out of the praises of the LORD For whosoever shall despise those good graces turne them to the contempt of Gods maiestie and glory and tread thē vnder foot and account them prophane and purposely and wilfully Heb. 6.6 and malitiously carry them away to all wantonnesse hee crucifieth againe vnto himselfo the sonne of God hee despites the spirit of grace he sinnes against the holy Ghost I shall not need to speake of the obiect which I proposed vnto you in the third place the two former notes haue made it sufficiently manifest that the malice of this sinne is directed against the whole TRINITIE against the very maiestie of God himselfe and against his Christ it directly respecteth the first table of the morall law it is not any particular slipping aside it is a generall defection a generall apostacie from God and that totally Here should I shew you what punishment is provided for such sinners but that discourse is better fitting the later words of my Text. Yet that wee bee not swallowed vp by secure and carelesse living as long as we heare nothing of any punishmēt due for so great a sinne let it not be troublesome to vs at once to take a view of it Certaine it is an end shall come vpon them yet never shall they end death shall take them away yet never
any more by these meanes to bee illuminated since they are fallen away from the doctrine of the resurrection of the dead when they shall rise againe they shall rise to their own damnation and last of all since they are fallen away from the doctrine of eternal iudgement needs must it come to passe that eternall iudgement shall devoure them It is no more but this since they are fallen away wholy from Christ since they haue troden him vnder foot since they haue despised those sweet graces of the holy spirit wherewith they were once lightned they shall be fed with wormewood and be made to drinke the water of gall and somewhat happie were they were this all But this is not all for let all the rivers and streames of fresh water which glad the Citie of God and comfort the soules of the faithfull runne also into their soules they will resist them and driue them backe they will admit no entrance for any perswasion of the graciousnesse and kindnesse of the Lord though it be preached to them ten thousand times they haue sinned against the holy Ghost and condemnation is their portion There remaineth no more sacrifice for sinne No more I say For Christs blood which was once shed for mans ransome may be shed no more The price which was once paid for man may be paid no more all the riches of Solomon all the treasures of Ezechias al the silver al the gold within the bowels of the earth could never haue mounted to so high a reckoning Christ hath once spared his own most pretious blood for mans redemption but will spare it no more Wee may not now looke for more Christs for more passions They that will goe into captivitie againe let thē go but they shall not returne they that wil sel thē selues to the will of their enimie let them sell themselues but they may never hope for a second ransome they that will sinne after that they haue received the knowledge of the truth let them so sinne but there remaineth no more sacrifice for their sinne They which haue eares to heare let them heare If it bee true that they which sinne willingly after that they haue receaued the knowledge of the truth may so fall away as that no sacrifice may remaine for cleansing of their sinne what may bee hoped for of vs in whom willingnesse is no day wanting to our sinnes It is a true saying excusatio omnis tollitur vbi mandatum non ignoratur If the commandment be knowne no excuse may serue for the breach thereof I shall not make it a false saying though I doe a little invert it excusatio omnis non admittitur vbi mandatum ignoratur though the commandement bee not knowne yet every excuse may not serue for the breach thereof Peter gaue vnto the Iewes a shield of ignorance wherewith they might partly defend themselues against the weapons of Gods wrath and that not in any common cause but in the vilest and bloodiest fact that ever yet the sunne saw attempted I knowe saith he that through ignorance you did it as did also your governours Act. 3.17 speaking of their slaughtering the Lord of life I knowe saith he that through ignorance you did it as did also your governours Yet that they should not leane too much vpon this broken reed of ignorance in the 19. vers he adviseth them to repent returne that their sinnes might bee done away Here we see that Ignorance must be beaten vnlesse it be cleansed by repentance The like cloake had S. Paul gotten to cast over his blasphemies his tyrannies his mercilesse persecutions of the Church I was saith he receaved to mercy because I did it ignorantly through vnbeleefe 1. Timoth. 1.13 I was saith hee receaued to mercy because I did it ignorantly through vnbeleefe And here also we see that ignorance must be beatē vnlesse it haue mercy to cover it And surely could ignorance haue pleaded for her owne innocency never would the blood of Christ haue cryed to the Father vpon the Crosse Father forgiue them they knowe not what they doe Luke 23.34 And here againe wee see that ignorance must be beaten vnlesse it bee forgiven by the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ What Is ignorance of the Lordes will sure to bee beaten with rods and shall not our contempt of his will our carelesse and vnprofitable knowledge of his lawes bee requited with scourges Shall Tyre and Sidon and Sodome wherein was never vertue done that might haue reclaimed them shall they I say burne like stubble in Hell fire Shall the smoake of their torment ascend for evermore And shall Corazin and Bethsaida and Capernaum whose streetes haue beene sowne with the miracles of Christ and made fat with his doctrine shall they escape vntouched and not drinke downe the dregges of endlesse destruction Diverse Cities of the East and West Indies devoted to the worship of Devils shall once wring their hands for that they haue knowne so litle and I feare me I may too truely say that Oxford shall once rend her heart for that shee hath known so much to no better purpose for surely were shee so fruitfull in good works as shee ought to be there could be no such report of her as there is of ignorance in her Citizens of corruption in her Colleges of idlenes loosenes of life in her seniors of wilfull impudent and contemptuous behaviour in her juniours Dictum sapienti You will not marvaile to see the wildernesse lie wast and desert but if a ground well husbanded and manured yeeld no profit that deserues cursing Our ground in all likelyhood should bee well husbanded and manured Here is much preaching much hearing but where is any profit What our Saviour said of the Scribes and Pharisees dicunt non faciunt they say do not may truely be spoken of vs we see we heare we say we know but doe not O let vs not still be sicke of Adams disease desiring rather to eate of the tree of knowledge then of the tree of life We may and must be carefull of knowledge vnto sobriety but we must haue a regard also of profiting thereby that the fruit of a good life bringing eternity of daies to come may wait vpon our knowledge For S. Peter assureth vs that it is better for vs never to know the way of righteousnes thē after we know it to turne from it 2. Pet. 2.21 The same is also taught vs by my text If we sinne willingly after that wee haue receaved the knowledge of the truth there remaineth no more sacrifice for sinne THE FOVRTH SERMON HEBR. 10. VER 27. 27 But a fearfull looking for of iudgement and violent fire which shall devoure the adversaries I should not trouble you with any long rehearsall of that which heretofore I delivered vnto you Yet the sonne of Sirach chap. 22.8 perswading me that many exhortations may bee spent as vpon men that are asleepe who when the Sermon is done wil